The Past And The Future Both Combined
by lego-king
Summary: What if in a world where Harry Potter was sent to the past he decided to help out another version of himself to create a future.
1. Chapter 1

A:N-this little story has been in my head and i decided to write it out just to see was it actually worth pursuing while it does say that harry was married to Rowena just it isn't a HP/RR story as a matter of fact it is a HP/DG story enjoy!

* * *

><p>A seventy-year old man stood somewhere in England. This place was bare except for a few fields to the north the man seemed to be doing nothing yet if you looked closely enough you would see that he was whispering under his breath his whispering was interrupted by a similar aged woman walking over to him and kissing him on the cheek he was not upset by the intrusion instead he merely smiled.<p>

"Are you sure you want to do this, you could live a happier life here? Who knows what you can send yourself into if you do this?" the man merely chuckled at the woman's worry having heard the same argument many times.

"My dear we have nothing to worry about. I have made precautions so that it will be easier for me. And who knows maybe a charmer like myself will find love just like I found you my dear" He continued with his whispering only this time he added a series of hand movements into it

"But what if it doesn't work? I mean shouldn't you have faded away if it did?" the woman interrupted again.

"I don't know how it works. Perhaps I can figure it out when I get my memories back." The man said he finished his whispering causing a flash of light to appear three miles wide. "Now I know your worrying but relax. We are here we will finish our long lives we have done all we can to help me. Ok?" the woman nodded and the two shared a kiss. It was interrupted by the arrival of an owl carrying a letter. The letter was red.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER YOU GET YOUR OLD BUT BACK HERE IT'S ALMOST DARK AND YOU ARE IN NO CONDITION FOR FIGHTING ANYMORE. YOU TOO ROWENA YOUR DINNER IS GETTING COLD." Screamed an old woman's voice before the letter tore itself to shreds and burned the remains.

"Well it appears Helga wants us home my dear let us hope my dear brothers are there with her." The two vanished from sight with little but a pop left in there place.

* * *

><p>The two appeared in a stone castle, they immediately went to the great hall consisting of five tables and a head table at the top the man, Harry, didn't get a chance to say hello to a single passerby before he was tackled by to elder men that resembled him closely they didn't get to stay long in there dog pile before a flash of light blasted them away. They floated in mid air where Harry joined them. If one looked closer they would see differences between the two but if not they seemed like twins.<p>

"Godric Salazar what have I told you about tackling Harry?" asked Helga the theoretical mother of the four

Harry stuck out his tongue at them while Helga pulled down the other two magically. "So am I to assume that you put up the ward?" Helga asked Harry as he sat himself down to his stew.

"Yes I put it up. With luck another me will be getting allot of knowledge power and advice in a thousand years." Harry answered

"Hey if you stopped yourself from coming here then how come you're here now?" asked Godric voicing Salazar's thoughts for him.

"Godric how are we to understand time travel when it's impossible."

"But its not impossible you're here. I still don't see why your doing this I mean why bother?" Salazar argued.

"I feel like I am needed there and I am doing all I can to make sure I will be. And I am here to stay my brother. Let us not worry about what will happen to a world we are not going to see." He said to his adoptive brother. The very thought of time travel always made him remember his past. Of how he was abused until he flashed away to a field. Where Helga found him. Where the two adopted brother Godric and Salazar adopted him. And where he fell in love with Rowena. He also remembered building this old school together. But that was the past and there was nothing he could do to change it even if he wanted to. He could only change the future and by his reckoning he already had done everything in his power to do so.

* * *

><p>In another time Harry Potter suffered through eleven years of abuse instead of seven. He received his Hogwarts letter in the end by Rubeus Hagrid and he was currently sitting on board the Hogwarts express. A red headed boy had asked to enter but a voice inside his head had told him not to that he was deceitful. A brown haired bossy girl had asked if he had seen a toad and while he had said he hadn't the voice repeated itself with it's warnings Harry had heard this voice before in his childhood. It was always there when he needed it and he trusted it by now. When he once asked the voice why it was there it told him that everything would be explained when he went to Hogwarts it was this reason why he was so eager to go. He had not studied as the voice told him it would not be necessary and he had snuck out and gotten some nice clothes for school once more at the behest of the voice. Changing into his robes he watched as the train pulled into a village. He was finally at Hogwarts.<p> 


	2. First day

A:N And there we go another chapter of what could actually be a semi decent story. Hope you all enjoy it because it might be awhile before another as I'm back to school on and just a quick notice i am looking for a beta so if anyone is interested please let me know. Anyways enjoy!

* * *

><p>Harry was standing in the great hall of Hogwarts watching as the others were sorted the voice in his head was growing weaker as the wait shortened he could barely make out any words that it was saying. When it was his turn the voice was practically gone with only a whisper surfacing every now and then. He walked over to the sorting hat ignoring the stares and whispers of the students of Hogwarts the sorting hat was just on his head when a shout rang through his mind.<p>

"IT CAN'T BE" the sorting hat shouted.

"It cant be what?" asked Harry in genuine confusion

"Your him, it worked, you're here, but then why was he there." The sorting hat was rambling still shocked by his surprise.

By now Harry was annoyed. "Excuse me but why are you so shocked."

"Well if you are him then there won't be any trouble of finding a place to put you." The sorting hat was finally getting control of itself "don't worry, all will be explained soon. I've waited a thousand years to say this." It took a deep breath, probably savoring the moment before announcing. "Phoenīcēs." (Plural for phoenix in Latin I believe).

The hall was silent. Nobody dared break it. They all watched still shocked as the trim of Harry's robe turned white and the crest turned to the shape of a phoenix surrounded by fire. Harry didn't know what to do. The sorting hat heard this and decided to explain for all. "The house of phoenīcēs created by the fifth founder it was disbanded eight hundred years ago when nobody ad reached it's requirements in over two hundred years and it was forgotten through the ages. When the house was disbanded the table was destroyed and as such the rules were changed so that should anybody ever gain access to the house that they would be allowed to sit anywhere they want. The same rule applies to the common room." The sorting hat closed its mouth having finished its explanation.

Dumbledore stood up after that "very well mister Potter why don't you take a seat." Harry stood up and made his way to the Ravenclaw table. Although, appeared fate hadn't had enough with him yet because as soon as he sat at the table his body went rigid and his mind went into overdrive. Images, words, emotions and knowledge all flooded him. His body seemed to go on autopilot and cast a spell that he didn't know, that hid all outward appearances of his discomfort. When the pain stopped Harry Potter was gone he was replaced with a man that lived a thousand years ago in the body of a boy who was living now. He cancelled the spell with a twitch of his finger and continued on with the meal that had appeared during his transformation.

After his meal he left the great hall first with nobody trying to stop him he headed to the fifth floor, on the west side, he walked over to a non important painting, the portrait swung aside automatically recognising who it was. Seeing the room in the state it was Harry called a house elf. The house elf screamed as soon as it saw Harry and bowed immediately. "Master Harry has returned, your planned worked" it began to babble about how pleased he was.

"What is your name?" Harry asked, his voice more confident now than it ever was before.

"My name is Dippy sir." The elf stated calmly.

"From now on you are my personal elf for the duration of my stay at Hogwarts do you understand." The elf nodded in glee at serving a founder. "I want you and any elves that you may need to restore this room back to the way it was a thousand years ago." With that he turned to leave but not before taking a dusty picture from a three legged table that was by the entrance. With that done he went to the astronomy tower a place he used to stay for hours gathering his thoughts.

"I was wondering why you were here Mr Potter." Asked the headmaster Albus Dumbledore as he approached the young child. Hogwarts had informed him of his whereabouts when he had left the great hall.

Harry's eyes flashed white for a moment while he gained knowledge about Dumbledore from Hogwarts. Founders beat headmasters. Every time. "Headmaster I was expecting you sooner, especially after the drama of the sorting."

"I'm surprised that on your first day, you not only know the way to the astronomy tower but you break the rules by being here after hours. I'm curious as to how and why?"

"Come now Albus we both know you like to play games why not have a little fun with me and play along with mine." Harry practically dared him. "Let the games begin Albus" Harry said without waiting for reply he became a blur and disappeared leaving only a strong wind behind.

"Let the games begin indeed Mr. Potter." Dumbledore said before doing the same himself.

Harry appeared at the portrait of the fat lady. "Hello Monica how are you this fine evening." Harry asked in a suave manner.

"Hello milord I am fine but I'm afraid I do miss Rowena these days." The name of his once wife stung but he continued on anyway as it wouldn't matter after tonight

"Yes well will you please let the brother of your once great founder in for the night my dear?" He didn't get a reply. She merely swung open and let him in 'Hogwarts a bed for one please.' Walking in to the common room Harry was shocked by the change back when he was a founder the room was nothing but a table and a fire attached to the rooms. The common room went silent as soon as he was noticed which actually fazed Harry. "Is it just me or is everybody going quiet around me tonight." Harry asked as a joke. "Oh well I guess I'll just go to bed." With that he walked to the first year boy's room where he found the sleeping form of three boys and the crying form of one. Being once a teacher he found himself obligated to help him, in any way possible.

The boy he now recognised was Neville Longbottom, the boy who lost his toad on the train to school. He walked quietly so as not to startle him, but it was all in vein because as soon as he was near the boy jumped with fright. Once he had calmed down Harry spoke to him. "What is wrong?" he asked all he could.

"I can't do this, I'm barely a wizard. I'm practically a squib." Neville chocked out. His tear subsiding a little due to harry's presence.

"That's not true." Harry assured.

But Neville didn't believe him and just kept on crying. It was then that Harry decided that this boy was going to be his student. But it would have to wait as nobody would believe an eleven-year-old boy and Harry was not trusting enough to tell him all his secrets just yet. With nothing he could do Harry went to the bed that the castle had placed for him and drifted slowly to sleep.

* * *

><p>Harry was dreaming. He was in a white void with nothing but himself and an older version of himself. While he welcomed the break from dreams of green light and screaming, he was slightly worried as this dream was out of the ordinary. Even for him.<p>

"You have nothing to be worried about." The older version assured him.

"Why not?" asked young Harry. While he appeared to be weak in life, this was his mind where he was strongest.

"Because I am you." Old Harry answered

After discovering the existence of magic, and realising that this was his mind Harry decided to go with it, as he believed it to be all a dream. The elder Harry knew this and decided to let him believe it. After tonight it wouldn't matter anyway. "Why are you here?" asked young Harry.

"To answer your question let me ask another. Do you remember when we were five and uncle Vernon decided to use Dudley's pellet gun on us?" while he spoke plural Harry knew he meant him, and so he gave a positive response. "Good. Well when he tried it on me I disappeared before he got the chance. I travelled back in time."

The young Harry was shocked. "Then how come I never did?" he asked.

"I stopped you. I went to the Dursleys home, or where it would be, and placed a magic suppression ward around it so that your magic wouldn't bring you back. After that I placed my memories and other things in the great hall tables so that when you touched one I would be transferred into your mind." With that he took one breath and waited for Harry to absorb all of the information that he had just received.

Once he gathered his thoughts Harry had only one thing on his mind. "What happens now?"

"We may never know because after tonight our minds will merge and neither you nor I will exist. An entirely new being will be formed after the merging of our minds. So I suggest you enjoy your next dream for it will be your last." And with that the older Harry vanished, and the white void turned into Harry's dreamscape.

* * *

><p>A Harry awoke the next morning that was neither the Harry of the past or the present; he was a Harry that had experienced five years of abuse twice with an added six. He had all the knowledge of the Harry that lived a thousand years ago but he also had the character of a Harry who was as pure as an angel combined with the experience of a man who lived to a hundred years old. But he was still eleven and that was his major flaw.<p>

He went to breakfast and decided to sit at the slytherin table as he did they cleared away bar from one first year. This was a tall and slender, with sleek, platinum blond hair and cold, light grey eye. He had a pale complexion and rather sharp, pointed features. Harry closed his eyes and allowed Hogwarts to inform him that he was Draco Malfoy. "So you are Harry Potter."

"Indeed I am Draco Malfoy."

"How do you know my name?"

"Does it matter?"

"Guess not. So what's it like being in the fifth house?"

"Probably the same as it is anywhere else. I can just move common rooms if I wanted." As the conversation kept going people began to whisper. "We seem to attract attention Mr. Malfoy, I know my reason but what is yours?"

"My father." When Draco left it at that Harry was going to ask Hogwarts but decided not to, everyone deserves their privacy. "So who are you taking classes with?"

Harry flicked his wrist under the table and summoned it from the headmaster who just smiled when he noticed its disappearance. Harry appeared to have pulled it from his bag. "I believe I am with the gryffindors." 'I bet Godric is turning in his grave. Speaking of which where is mine, I want my wand but then again it might not work fully seeing as how I'm not it's master technically.' Looking at his phoenix feather he wondered 'will you?' When he checked his watch and found it was almost time for class he stood up. "Well Draco it was fun talking to you perhaps we can again sometime."

"Sure were friends aren't we" Draco asked as he too stood up.

" I don't see why not." The two shook hands in agreement of their newfound friendship and went off their separate ways to class. In Harry's case it was transfiguration. He was the first one to arrive due to his knowledge of the castle. Tipping his make-believe hat to a cat on the desk causing it's eyes to go wide, he sat down and opened his book. Education must have changed since Hogwarts founding and as such he had much to learn.

When everybody had arrived the cat transformed into the teacher with a wink to Harry, the teacher was none other than Minerva McGonagall the woman who had conducted the sorting ceremony. With the theatrics done she began her opening speech. "Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned." With that she turned the desk into a pig and back again as a demonstration causing everybody to get their hopes up. Only for them to be crashed by McGonagall as she handed out matches and told the students to turn them to needles. Harry waited for at least one person to change theirs (a feat which took almost twenty minutes) before changing his own with his wand. After that he began doing it wandless for fun. He was almost caught doing it wandless by McGonagall but he managed to trick his way out of what would most likely a very awkward conversation. The class barely managed to finish it before McGonagall gave out homework, to practice.

The rest of the day was more or less similar, they took notes in charms, and they listened in herbology, after that the had lunch which Harry enjoyed with Draco etc. Then they had potions where Harry got in trouble for not knowing one out of three questions. After classes they headed to their common rooms this time Harry went to the slytherin's. As soon as he stepped over the threshold of the room it went quiet beyond belief. Harry merely ignored this, until one student decided to speak. He was a third year.

"Your not wanted here Potter." He said hotly

"Well guess what the rules say I'm allowed so you stuck with me." Harry answered in a confident manner far unlike what he was yesterday.

Drawing his wand the third year said. "Oh yeah well we'll just have to see about that." He didn't notice Harry slide his own from his sleeve.

"Stupefy"

"Experliarmus."

Harry caught the third year's wand out of instinct, having years of experience in wand lore he rejected the wand so it would work for it's true master. He handed it to the third year that was barely able to take it out of shock, and walked up to the first year room. On the way he couldn't help but notice a raven-haired girl sitting in the corner of the common room with two other people. She entranced him but he didn't know why, if it hadn't been for Draco's push he might never have moved from the bottom of the stairs.

After entering the dormitory Harry immediately launched himself on the bed that Hogwarts had moved for him, and turned to face Draco who was in a similar position as he was. "Who was that girl?" Harry asked straight away.

Draco smirked before answering "Daphne Greengrass my betrothed."

Harry's face fell instantly before saying "oh well congratulations I guess."

Draco immediately burst out laughing, Causing Harry to wonder why. It was a few minutes before he had enough control of himself to explain. "I'm just kidding she actually has nothing to do with me. Not by choice though."

"And why's that? Did your charming nature not go well with her?" Harry asked still sour over the joke that had been played on him.

"No actually it's just who she is, she's got an ice cold demeanor about her that scares every boy away." Draco answered with his face in a pillow about to fall asleep

It was as if Harry was possessed by the ghost of is father (not that he knew it). As soon as he heard those words a grin worthy of any Potter appeared on his face. "Well I guess I'll just have to melt the ice queen," he said before he too turned for a nap.


	3. Halloween surprises

AN- well to my loyal audience (ye few but great few) i give you another chapter pf my actually rather good story. again i am looking for a beta (hint hint) and i hope you enjoy this new chapter

* * *

><p>It was currently Halloween week and the castle population was thrilled beyond belief with the excitement as rumours of what was planned for the Halloween Feast made the mill. The firsties all wondered what kinds of food would be served while the older students debated the truth of the story that Professor Dumbledore hired a group of skeletal musicians and acrobats to perform. Harry of course was not taking part in any of these debates because he was wondering if Dumbledore would do the opposite just to spite him. Himself and Draco had become great friends, throughout the month but many were still on edge about their friendship. One especially and I bet you can guess who.<p>

"_Well Potter it appears you've turned dark. Not really surprising considering you hang around with Malfoy." Said the gryffindor Ronald Weasley as he sneered at the two from a nearby pillar._

_Harry simply ignored him, and continued walking, an action which only added to his chagrin. Grabbing Harry by the shoulder and spinning around he growled at him. "Who do you think you are Potter? You think you can just ignore me?" Harry still hadn't said anything but now he was smiling, with one eyebrow raised at the arrogant gryffindor. Sliding his wand into his hand, for appearances only, he had him bound and stuck the ceiling in a flick. He made sure to move his mouth so he seemed to be muttering. Walking beneath him he finally spoke._

"_You are Ronald Weasley." He stated calmly before continuing. "You belong to a poor family and as such you think that everybody who has something you want doesn't deserve it. You are jealous because of your brother's success and yet you do nothing to make something of yourself." He took a breath before deciding to end this petty squabble before a teacher came. "You insult a man merely because of his family and yet here you are sinking to their level by verbally assaulting me in front of my friend and for that you should be worried." With that he walked away with Draco but not before cancelling his spells with a twitch of his finger._

* * *

><p>That was a week ago and Weasley had avoided him ever since, he still remembered the voice of his thousand-year-old, self warning him about the boy but he didn't know why, because of this he was wary of him. He was wary of the other girl too, Granger, but not as much as Weasley because she was mainly an annoyance. His last class before the school gave them a week off was charms with the hufflepuffs. As he walked into the class he saw feathers on the desks and the board free of notes, being once a teacher he knew what this meant. Practical class.<p>

It turned out that the practical class wasn't as fun as he'd thought it would be. He had a feeling that the diminutive professor Flitwick knew that, but until confronted, Harry would say nothing. The object of the class was to levitate the aforementioned feather into the air and to try to hold it. Like in all classes Harry was waiting for someone to do it before he would so as not to arise suspicion but again like in all classes it was Hermione Granger that accomplished it first after a squabble with Weasley. Calming himself Harry pronounced the incantation quietly and hovered the feather only just off the desk so nobody would notice. Sadly his attempt was in vain as Flitwick had been watching him specifically as if waiting for just that. "Well it appears two students have done it five points to gryffindor miss Granger and…" he trailed off not knowing if Harry's house Harry merely shook his head not wanting any points as it would be a poor celebration if he won the house cup. Flitwick was surprised but consented somehow seeing his logic.

After class Harry was waiting on the courtyard bench for Draco when a familiar face passed him by. Never being the one to miss an opportunity in either life Harry got up and strode alongside her. "Well miss Greengrass how are you today?" Harry asked the raven-haired goddess that had kept him up for nights before he relearned occlumency to banish her from his dreams.

"Not that it's any of your business I am fine lord potter." Harry was shocked. Not that he'd been addressed so formally; no it was the fact that he only remembered now that he was a lord. A thousand years ago that was one of the highest honors but nowadays it was nothing but a rich man.

"Come now miss Greengrass must you address me so formally after all we are friends." He already knew what would happen next and as such had his wand out incase. Sadly it did him no help because she decided a physical approach and kneed him in the groin. He merely smiled and walked off until she was out of sight. As soon as she was Harry dropped to the ground and promptly screamed in agony. Most boys winced while some gave him respect for holding out as long as he did. Casting a pain relieving charm he hobbled over to Draco who was laughing his head off at his friends predicament. A small stinging hex sorted that out straight away. And the two were on their way to the slytherin common room. On the way Draco couldn't help himself before asking, "you had to try to hit on the ice queen didn't you?"

"Could you blame me I mean, have you looked at her?" Draco could only shake his head at his best friend. "And anyway how long did it take her to become the ice queen when we've only been here a month."

"She put a second year in the hospital wing for grabbing her ass." Draco stated still feeling sorry for the poor bloke

"So what the hell am I going to do for dinner if she can do that?" Draco nearly fell over like a child cartoon character before he remembered something. They were going to be late for the feast. When he said this to Harry he simply grabbed Draco and increased his speed to the point where he was a blur to the normal eye. He slowed down at the doors to the great hall and ignored Draco's pleas to teach him the trick in fact he ignored Draco completely until they were seated at the slytherin table (across from Daphne if your interested.)

"How did you learn that?" asked Draco.

"Family grimoire." Was the simple reply of Harry who was too busy annoying Greengrass by making suggestive faces at her, he stopped when she got up and left. Unfortunately this statement drew the attention of others. Family grimoires were rare now due to the fact that the magic inside them was considered 'dangerous' by the ministry of magic in nineteen eighty two. Most grimoires were hidden abroad to save them from destruction. He was about to explain more when professor Quirrel came bursting through the door screaming about a troll in the dungeon. 'Hogwarts where is the troll." Not believing Quirrel at all. He received back that the troll was in the first floor on his way to the second 'locate any students not in the great hall or on their way to the common rooms' the answer made him worried. Two girls were in the second floor toilet and the troll knew it too (Daphne and Hermione). Taking a deep breath Harry used the same technique as earlier and ran to the toilet. He was too late as the troll had already entered it before him. 'Oh screw it, guess Dumbledore is getting another point in the game then.' With that he drew his wand and went into the toilet.

He smelt the troll before he saw it, but what a sight he saw was twelve feet tall and with a spiked club. 'This is going to be fun' he thought as he saw the girls hiding in stalls, unable to see anything. Whistling to get its attention Harry gave it a death stare fit for Helga. The troll got rattled by just this and targeted Harry because of it. Said person smirked and launched himself in the air and used his magic to take away it's club lodging it into the wall of the toilet by its spikes. After that Harry hovered so that their heads were at even heights and began having a boxing match with it. He actually managed to do some damage before the troll opened his mouth and bit his hand, shattering it. Harry glared and lowered himself to the ground all the while still glaring at the troll who was laughing. "So you want to play dirty do you?" Raising his still good hand he created a stunner but held onto it. The reason nobody is able to stun a troll or a giant is because the art of charging spells until they're stringer is a lost one. But Harry remembered how to do it. Sadly with his eleven-year-old body it will make him exhausted. He began charging the spell until the ball that it was doubled in size and sparkled with untamed magic. He never noticed a teacher walk in at that time. With a cry of "stupefy." The spell was released and the troll was almost instantly stunned. Using his remaining magical reserves he bound it before promptly falling over. The last thing he saw before he passed out was the tiny charms master levitating him out before anybody came.

* * *

><p>Harry awoke some hours later with his hand healed yet still exhausted he looked around recognizing Rowena's old office from years ago. He was in the charms master's office. "Ah your awake. Good I would have had a hard time explaining your absence but I suspect you can think of something for why you were missing."<p>

"Yes I can sir but may I ask why I'm here?" Harry asked his voice weakened alongside the rest of his body.

"You are here because I brought you here after witnessing your fight with the troll." Causing Harry to be immediately alarmed. But the professor continued not noticing. "I mean not only could you charge a spell to that magnitude at eleven but you still had enough power to conjure ropes strong enough to hold a troll. And let's not forget that you did it all wandless. Now wonder you were bored in my classes." Harry let out a breath of relief that went unnoticed by the professor as he was still praising Harry.

"Professor can we please finish so I can go to bed?" Harry asked barely audible due to his weakness.

"Yes. Well anyway, I want you to train with me so that you can at least learn something in your years at Hogwarts. If in your third year you agree I will train you to go for your mastery in charms." Harry was shocked he not only got away with trying on a troll in first year but he also got to train with a modern day master of charms.

Of course all he could say was, "I'm in."


	4. A student's student

AN-A day off sick from school so I decided to give you guys another chapter again BETA NEEDED but anyway here is your fourth chapter

It was now heading into November. Thanks to the bright luminous weather, the students of Hogwarts were currently undergoing flying lessons.

"Good afternoon, class." Said the resident flying teacher Rolanda Hooch as she stalked in between the two lines of brooms and students, Madam Hooch had spiky grey hair which was cut short and had piercing, yellow, hawk-like eyes, that were shining in the afternoon sun. The gryffindors plus Harry, was currently paired with the slytherins therefore Harry was on their side next to Draco. "Welcome to your first flying lesson. Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone stand by a broomstick." She gestured to them as she spoke so as to make a point. "Now raise your arm and say up." When Harry did so his broom shot into his arm without hesitation. Draco on the other hand overdid his and the broom tail hit him in the face causing many to laugh including the teacher. Harry, seeing Daphne failing at the attempt couldn't resist an opportunity not that he tried very hard, in fact he did the opposite when he ignored Draco's pleads to not do it.

"Excuse me miss Greengrass but do you require assistance." This was the third time he had tried to approach her the second ending rather akin to the first.

"Of course I do lord potter but what can you do to help what with being raised by wizards." She had become rather lenient towards Potter after their second encounter. But that didn't mean she was going to be nice. No she would make him work for it

"Well if you look closely enough you would see your broom floating next to you." He whispered into her ear before leaving. She never noticed that his two index fingers stayed extended the entire time until she grabbed the broom. Muttering about stupid boys and their brooms. (Get it?) When he returned to Draco, he noticed his friend was shocked. "What?" he asked

"Well let's see you're not in pain this time that's what." Draco answered as he situated himself on his broom like his classmates had done.

"Well maybe she has softened up to me after all how can you not? I'm a potter." Draco just shook his head and laughed.

It was this time that the flying instructor nodded and told them that when she counted to three what to do. Neville do to his fear of being left behind started at two instead of three. But he was too inexperienced to control his broom and as such, lost control. While others where screaming for him to come down Harry was waiting for the right moment. The moment came when Neville jumped from his broom. Harry raised his hand and said "aresto momentum." This spell is naturally wandless so Harry had no problem using it in front of his classmates. Neville slowed down hitting the ground with an oomph but otherwise fine. Wile the other student's gawked at Harry; he was making his way over to Neville to check on him. He had not forgotten his promise and he intended to keep it, starting now. Picking Neville up he asked madam Hooch if she would allow him to take Neville to the hospital wing to be checked up. When he received a nod he walked off with Neville in tow.

* * *

><p>The two walked in silence for the entire trip. Neville out of fear and Harry out of thought. When in the hospital wing Neville received an all clear before the two left. While Neville had intentions of going to the common room Harry was thinking otherwise he grabbed Neville by the arm and took him to the fifth floor. When the portrait saw Harry it immediately opened and allowed them entrance.<p>

"Where are we?" asked Neville as Harry cast an obscuring charm on all the picture and books (he wrote some of them). When he finished he answered

"We are in a room that hasn't been used for over a thousand years." Harry seemed to think for a minute before calling Dippy and asking for drinks. The two waited for them before continuing. "Neville do you know what scrying is? " Harry asked as he sipped his butterbeer. It had improved over the ages."

"Yeah it's a form of visual magic that let's you see people." Neville answered having been taught of the old magics by his grandmother but nothing about how to use them.

Summoning a bowl of water Harry continued. "Very good." He praised causing Neville to blush. "Now I want you to pay very close attention for what I'm about to do is very difficult." Waving his hand over the water it began to change. "What do you see?" Harry asked when it had stopped.

"I see me. On my own. And I see you a gryffindor fighting with Malfoy." Harry nodded before waving his hand again. And repeating his earlier question. "I see me with your scar and you in slytherin. We're fighting." Harry waved his hand a final time before repeating his question. "I see me I'm reading something. It says I'm a squib and can't go to Hogwarts." Harry nodded and vanished the bowl with a wave of his hand.

"What you saw were three different worlds. One was with you as a lonely gryffindor while I was the scared boy-who-lived, also a gryffindor. Another was where I was a dark slytherin and you were the boy-who-lived. And the final as you no doubt noticed is where you are a squib. Now I want you to think about what I have shown you and what I'm about to tell you. No world is the same in any way. There is always a difference." With that Harry sent him off. He knew that Neville would need time to himself and he also knew what would happen once it was finished. Like Harry at the sorting, a new Neville would be born.

Then next day as Harry walked to breakfast he saw Neville on his own at the gryffindor table. Shaking his head he made his way over to the Ravenclaw table and asked a young girl by the name of Padma Patil for a favor "excuse me miss Patil but I was wondering if you could do me a favor my friend Neville, well as you can see he's kind of going through a rough time. Can you keep him company for a while?" Padma agreed and even brought her sister along for the trip. Ten minutes later Neville was in a cheerful conversation with both, not knowing what Harry had done for him.

As Harry was sitting at the slytherin table Greengrass who had seen him talking to the Patil twin asked "have you finally gotten over me Potter? I'm sure twins would make an excellent compensation." Harry merely smirked and replied with "come on Greengrass you know you're the only girl for me." Causing Daphne to growl and turn away.

Harry watched Neville for the rest of breakfast before his class of charms called him away. When he reached the classroom he nodded to the professor. He was still grateful for the help he had given him on Halloween. Thanks to him nobody suspected him to be the one that incapacitated a fully-grown mountain troll. His lessons with the minute professor where still on the waiting list until he had grown more. Something he intended to do as soon as he was away from the watchful eye of Albus Dumbledore. Today they were practicing the softening charm. So far nobody had done it bar Granger, even Harry had trouble with the new spell. But today after he mastered it, the entire class was shocked to find that Neville Longbottom had done it as well. Harry just smirked and nodded to the boy. His student had begun his learning.


	5. Christmas time

well hello there, I hope you all enjoy this, i am sorry for it's quality as i suck at writing Christmas stories/chapters. but nonetheless I hope you find it enjoyable and FYI BETA NEEDED

It was Christmas Eve, and Harry was sitting in the Slytherin common room by the fire, many of the slytherins had begun to either respect him or like hi, but there were still some who hated his very being. Right now Harry was meditating. With Draco gone away, Harry was on his own with just Daphne as his company, the rest of slytherin having gone home. Normally Harry would have taken this opportunity to make a move but tonight he was just meditating. His connection to Hogwarts gave him a general sense of what was in the castle; right now it was about thirty students, himself, two Gryffindor, one Slytherin, twenty Ravenclaw, and six Hufflepuff. This astounded him to some degree, as over a thousand years ago this was the regular count for the entire year. Opening his eyes he shook his head before going for a walk around the castle. He was on the second floor when he decided to miss out on the walk and just go to the astronomy tower. The tower was used for students who didn't know the locking charm nowadays, so Harry didn't really have a chance of getting to be alone in it until now. As he stood on the ledge of the tower he never heard the door open or the sound of someone walking towards him.

"Trying to jump Potter, I can help if you like." Asked Daphne as she to hopped onto the ledge but sat down instead of standing.

"No Daphne I am merely trying to think. You do know what that is don't you?" while the two fought over their feelings an academic feud had begun between the two when Harry was the first one to master the cleaning charm.

Daphne bristled before replying, "if anyone doesn't know what thinking is it has to be you, Mr. Save everybody no matter what." Harry knew she was referring to Neville. When Harry had saved him he had shown that he knew fifth year charms. "But seriously what are you doing here Har_Potter?"

Ignoring the mistake just for her feelings sake Harry answered, "I don't know, to be honest Daphne I am merely just enjoying the night sky." The two sat there for a few minutes until Daphne fell asleep on Harry's shoulder. Chuckling he picked her up and carried her back to her dorm room bridal style. He never noticed a pair of blue eyes watching him as he did so, or that Daphne's breathing was far too heavy for her to be asleep. When he had laid her in her bed Harry simply walked off. After all what was the point of staying when she was asleep?

Harry to went to bed but he never slept, instead his body was encased in a white glow for the entire night while Harry never moved or made a sound.

* * *

><p>The next morning Harry sat up as the white glow that surrounded him faded, to some it made no outward change to his body but Harry knew it would take time. The spell was the equivalent of a hibernation state of healing. His body had been damaged by eleven years of abuse and he didn't expect it to heal in one day but he could feel the changes. He walked downstairs to see a pile of packages under the tree a quick scan proved that there were three for him, he summoned them with a flick of his small finger and caught then all in one hand. He sat in armchair by the fire and opened the first one. It was a gold watch from Draco, the watch had a similar feature to his old clock a thousand years ago, by pressing a button the clock's face would change with several hands representing people with work, home, dead, in danger, traveling etc. he was grateful as he missed his old clock. Opening the second one he saw a wand holster from an,'unknown' sender. The holster was made of dragon hide with all the usual enchantments but to Harry it was a surprise. While he had killed many dragons he never thought there hide could be removed safely. Opening the third package Harry found a cloak; he didn't even have to think to know what it was, and he looked at the note.<p>

_Your father left this in my possession before he died; it is time it was returned to you.__Use it well_

Harry chuckled before banishing them all to his trunk 'a point to you Albus, a well deserved point.' He was going to get dressed when a raven-haired beauty came down the stairs "well good morning Daphne how are you" all he got was the bird in reply but nonetheless he continued "well then hurry up and deal with your presents then we'll get some coffee into you" at the mention of coffee she perked up and immediately went for her presents, while Harry went to get dressed.

* * *

><p>Harry was walking to breakfast with Daphne when he was intercepted by a first year Ravenclaw, signaling Daphne to go ahead he asked what the matter was.<p>

"Umm." was all he got in reply immediately Harry knew that this girl was stalling. Using his senses he detected a magical signature on the door of the great hall. Immediately he ran using his magically enhance speed to help, he passed Daphne and touched the door causing his hand to go on fire. He quickly put it out and covered it with a glamour before going back to Daphne. He explained that she wanted help before diving into the metaphorical pool of thought. 'That signature is nowhere near Hogwarts so I'm very interested on who wanted Daphne injured.'

The rest of the day went without incident as Daphne headed up to get ready for bed Harry summoned his invisibility cloak and went for an after curfew stroll. His mind began to drift off as he wandered the halls of Hogwarts, it was only when he entered a nondescript room he saw a mirror that he recognized but couldn't help walk up to. A thousand years ago he saw only himself in that mirror but now, he didn't know what he wanted.

Well hello there Harry" said Albus Dumbledore as he watched his favorite student walk up to a soul sucking mirror.

"There is no need to warn me professor I know what this mirror does. I'm surprised that it hasn't been destroyed." Harry said as he watched the mirror show him his greatest desire with mild curiosity.

"Tomorrow it will be moved to a new home Harry so your worries are useless. I suggest you go to bed now." Dumbledore said before vanishing.

Harry took one last look at the mirror and watched as its image faded as he departed, before he too vanished into thin air. He arrived back at the slytherin common room to find Daphne sitting in his usual seat by the fire. "Where were you?" she asked as Harry left his cloak on the chair and sat down.

"I was out, did you miss me?" he asked with a smirk

Daphne smirked back though the two could hardly be called similar. "Not a chance Potter."

The two stayed up for hours both talking until a point where they could actually be considered friends of course Harry's hopes were dashed when Daphne said "you know after holidays we'll be back to normal."

Harry smiled but inside he was sad before replying, "wouldn't have it any other way." The two went to bed; neither slept as they wondered what would happen between the two.


	6. Babysitting

AN: well another chapter, not much but it's only one more until summer i rather dislike writing young harry but anyway. hate to sound like a broken record but I do need a beta. and finally enjoy

Harry was sitting in the great hall trying to flirt with Daphne when Draco suddenly appeared out of breath. He didn't wait for the two to notice him before he spoke, "hey guys did you hear that Granger, Longbottom and Weasley got detention for being out after curfew, oh and I got detention for being out as well."

Harry sighed before turning away from Daphne and replying, "and for what reason did you decide to get detention with them two?"

Draco sat down and leaned in before whispering, "they were trying to sneak a dragon out of the castle, I tried to turn them in but McGonagall said the only way I could have known was if I was out to. Longbottom was trying to warn Weasley and Granger and he was caught too."

Harry sighed before putting his head on the table, "what are you doing for the detention?" he asked, his voice muffled by the table.

"We're going into the dark forest." Draco said a bit apprehensive about it.

Harry sighed and muttered something about babysitters before he walked out o the great hall, Draco turned to Daphne before asking, "any idea what that was about?" she just shook her head in negative.

Harry was walking to his first class while deep in thought, 'how am I going to do this? Hopefully in a way that ties me back up with Albus, AHA I got it.' With that out of the way Harry continued onto herbology.

At dinner everyone wondered where Harry was, nobody had seen him since classes ended and some were even beginning to get worried, their worries were pointless when he showed up not five minutes later. Many asked him where he had been but none got an answer even Draco and Daphne. Dinner was a quiet affair with Harry only eating and not talking, it was when Dumbledore came in with his hair (including his beard) transformed to snakes, he pointed to the Weasley twins and said, "I will have you both for this." The two denied their part in the prank until they couldn't be heard over Harry's laughing. Dumbledore turned to Harry with a shocked face, but proud eyes.

"I do believe that's a point to me headmaster Dumbledore." Harry said still laughing at his predicament.

"Yes mister Potter and why don't you take a detention with it for tonight." Dumbledore said while Draco turned to his friend in shock, he had gotten detention, to look after him.

Harry just nodded and flicked his wand to reverse the spell on Dumbledore. His plan had worked.

* * *

><p>Harry was walking to Hagrid's house, the others where slightly ahead of him and he wanted it that way. He looked like he was unwell but his eyes said differently, the reason for this. A great evil had been done at Hogwarts. The five arrived at Hagrid's where Filch proceeded to bitch and moan about students, dragons, and the forest. It was about ten minutes later when Hagrid sent him off and took them into the forest.<p>

"Right, now something's been killing unicorns and it's our job to find it." He pointed to a pool of silver on the ground and continued. "This is unicorn blood, so either one is hurt badly or is dead. Let's split up, Ron Hermione you'll go with fang. Draco Harry and Neville you'll come with me."

Harry protested. "Hagrid how about Draco and Neville go with you and I just go on my own." Hagrid looked skeptical at first before nodding if a bit reluctantly. As soon as he did so Harry vanished.

"Cocky git." Ron said as soon as he was gone

"He has a reason to be Weasley." Answered Draco before he went with Hagrid.

Harry was currently sitting in a tree watching as a cloaked figure approached the unicorn that he had injured. Judging by the wound he was clearly going to drink its blood. He couldn't stand to let it happen and jumped from the tree into the clearing causing the figure to halt and turn to him.

"Who are you and why have you committed such and evil act?" Harry asked as he charged a spell behind his back, just in case.

The figure just ignored him and began gliding towards him, Harry felt slightly scared, but nonetheless he charged his spell until he could barely hold it in one hand and fired. The spell just passed through the figure. 'Your incorporeal' Harry was about to cast another spell but a centaur charged in and forced the figure away.

"Harry potter, you must leave. The forest is not the place for one such as you." The centaur now named Firenze said as Harry walked over to heal the unicorn.

"As a founder to the school I have a duty to protect it. You yourself could sense the evil that was released upon the unicorn's injury." Harry said as his hand glowed white and the wound began to close.

"As a founder to the school you should know that that evil is trying to gain what is hidden inside it."

"The third floor on the right hand side I presume."

"Yes do you know what is in it?" Firenze asked as the two sensed someone approaching.

"No. I have been preoccupied. What is in it?"

"The philosopher stone."

Harry was shocked; the philosopher stone was a legend even a thousand years ago. The fact that someone had made it sounded impossible. He had to protect it. "Who wanted that stone?"

"Can you think of no person who would want to regain life?"

"Harry are you alright?" asked Hagrid as he approached the clearing, luckily Harry had finished healing the unicorn and was watching it sleep peacefully. "Firenze?"

"We're fine Hagrid." He turned to Firenze "look after him." He said pointing to the unicorn before going to Hagrid "let's go the thing got away." They walked out of the forest to find a scared Neville, a dirty Draco, an angry Ron, and a quiet Hermione. Harry didn't bother saying anything before he walked back to the castle. On the way there Hagrid shouted to him that he could stop by at any time. To which he readily agreed.


	7. Voldemort Vs Harry

AN- Another chapter of my story i do hope you like it as this will be where i decide whether or not to actually continue this, review and let me know what you think.

* * *

><p>Ever since the warning about Voldemort stealing the philosopher stone Harry had been on high alert. He had told Draco and he too was worried. Harry had placed monitoring wards around the corridor just incase anyone decided to try and take it and Draco had asked around the house about the teachers to see who was most suspicious. So far they had little results but through a little careful observation it appeared that Weasley and Granger knew about it too.<p>

Harry was just after finishing his exams for the end of the year when he saw Granger and Weasley run into McGonagall's classroom. Luckily being raised with his brothers had taught him the listening charm.

"We have to speak to professor Dumbledore immediately." Came the voice of Granger so loud that Harry had to lower the settings.

"I am afraid that professor Dumbledore has left to London at the request of the ministry." 'Really that's interesting.'

"But we need to speak to him, this is about the philosopher stone." Harry just knew that McGonagall had gone white at that sentence. "We think someone is trying to steal it." Harry could tell by Granger's voice that she had a guess who.

"I don't know how you three found out about the Stone, but I assure you it's perfectly well protected." Said McGonagall.

Harry could hear them coming out so he moved out of sight but kept the charm on.

"We have to go after Snape tonight." 'Well it appears you aren't going on your own.'

* * *

><p>Late that night Harry was walking with Draco to the third floor when Daphne suddenly bumped into them, "you two aren't going on your own, otherwise you'd be dead in five minutes."<p>

"Gee thanks for the vote of confidence Daph." Harry said as he continued walking towards the third floor.

Upon reaching the third floor Harry noticed that the door was open, he continued on to find a raging Cerberus trying to get through a trap door. Harry simply stunned the beast and continued, ignoring the shocked expressions on Draco's and Daphne's faces, as they jumped down to the next room the landed on devil's snare that quickly proceeded to grab them and try to kill them. Harry just conjured a ball of light to weaken it and the three crawled away and to the next room.

"So Daphne I think it's been more than five minutes and," he stopped with a gesture to his body, " would you look at that were alive" he said with a fake astonished voice. She just scowled and stuck her tongue out at him. The next room was a chessboard that was repairing itself. The three snuck through without being seen and into the next room. Where a troll was just waking up. Draco and Daphne turned to Harry only to see a spell as large as a quaffle sitting in his hand, a spell that was quickly fired at the trolls head, knocking him out immediately after impact.

"It should be out for hours, now let's go." Harry said, already on his way to the door. They walked into a room where fire blocked the next-door and also blocked the door backwards as well. "Daphne, Draco, you two sort out the riddle while I rest." As he said this, his fatigue began to show as his breathing became heavy.

It was five minutes before the two had solved the riddle; by that time Harry had regained his strength and was waiting by the fire. "We know it's this one and there's enough for four people." Said Daphne swirling the bottle and its contents. The three took a drink of it and walked through the fire one by one, the last being Harry.

* * *

><p>Entering the final room, Harry immediately noticed that his two friends were tied up on the floor. It was only quick reflexes that saved Harry from a similar fate, that and he were watching the person who did it.<p>

"So Potter you've decided to join us after all." Said Professor Quirinus Quirrell without turning to look at him, instead merely choosing to look at his reflection.

"You knew I would be here?" asked Harry still not moving from his spot yet he was prepared to if needed.

"Yes, yes we did." Harry noticed his grammar choice. "We knew you would show after seeing you in the forest that night."

"Well then show me your master." Harry said, having put everything together in his mind

Quirrell smirked and obliged, he reached behind his head and removed his turban, slowly so as to create suspense to reveal.

Harry would have screamed, but he couldn't make a sound. Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face, the most terrible face Harry had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake. "Hello Voldemort." Harry said trying to put up a façade of fearlessness; he was only eleven after all no matter whose memories he had.

"Harry Potter…" he whispered. "See what I have become?" the dark lord said. "Mere shadow and vapour… I have form only when I can share another's body… but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds…" he paused for a short breath before continuing "Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks… you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest… and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own… Now… why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"

Harry checked his pocket and indeed found the stone in it, he decided to ponder on how later but for now he simply shook his head and spoke. "Do you think I'm stupid Voldemort? Your weakened severely in this form, So much so that even my damaged powers can handle you."

Daphne and Draco turned to each other in confusion, Harry's powers were damaged and yet they had seen him perform magic at a level of a middle level duellist. They both knew that they would be having words with him if they got out alive. But for now they turned to the battle that had already begun.

Harry was against the wall, magically restrained by Voldemort. The force was so bad that Harry's body was leaving an indentation in the wall. He was trying valiantly to break free, even going as far as to magically enhance his body. But alas it was futile. Voldemort was stalking towards him with his snakelike visage glowing in the fires of the room. But at the last step Harry broke free. Harry had tried something he didn't want to. He destroyed the wall that was holding him down; with the loss of the object the magic in place missed him as he fell to the ground. He quickly stood and fired a wave of raw magic at the two-headed man, forcing him into the mirror that stood in the middle of the room.

Harry didn't waste time stalking instead he became a blur that stopped right next to Voldemort and picked him up, he held his hand over his face. Causing his magic to repeatedly lash out and almost shred his face until there was practically no skin left. Still Voldemort was not fazed, and so he struck Harry in the side of the head it caused his to fall to the ground. Further proving that he was still an eleven-year-old child. Harry employed a last resort; he summoned the energy of the school and all it's students into his hands and focused it into one magical energy ball. Before raising it above his head and firing it at the dark lord and his vessel. The contact caused the vessel to turn to dust and for the soul to flee the castle and seek refuge. The magical backlash of such a spell sent Harry flying into the wall of the chamber, as he fell to the floor he saw the philosophers stone had fallen out of his pocket and had split in two. He picked up one half and banished it to his trunk. All of this was unnoticed by his friends who were still dazed from the shockwave. With the last act his consciousness would allow he repaired the room and freed his two friends before his world became black.

Draco and Daphne stood up and walked over to Harry before the two sat down next to him and waited for him to wake up.

"Did you know he could do that?" asked Daphne after a few minutes of silence

"No." Draco said calmly. "You?" to which she shook her head. The two sat in silence until a loud ruckus shocked them into a standing position. Daphne turned to Draco with fire in her eyes "they'll wake him." She said gesturing to Harry's sleeping form. The door of the chamber opened to reveal Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley the gryffindor first years that Harry showed nothing but indifference to.

"What are you two snakes doing here?" Said Weasley completely oblivious to Harry's presence.

"The same could be said for you Weasley." Draco replied coldly.

"We're here to save the stone from Snape." Weasley said showing his lack of foresight. "Now what are you doing here?" he asked again this time drawing his wand, only to find himself upside down and stuck to the roof courtesy of Draco. With that the two sat and waited for Harry to wake up again while Granger began to work on getting Weasley down. When Harry finally awoke he released the red haired Gryffindor and walked out with the other towing behind him. They separated at the stairs the Slytherins going to their common room at the request of Harry. The Gryffindors going to their at the order of Harry and Harry going to the headmaster's office.

When he arrived the gargoyle simply looked at him. Harry raised an eyebrow but nonetheless said the password for entrance as he passed the gargoyle he said to it. " Know your place." But nonetheless continued up the stairs. He didn't even knock when he heard the headmaster's welcome.

"Professor Dumbledore, here is your philosophers stone. Next time look after it." With that he walked towards the door but stopped on the threshold. "Oh and I would suggest getting a new DADA replacement because yours is dust." With that he walked out leaving a chuckling Dumbledore.

* * *

><p><strong>Just a quick note before anybody asks. The enchantments surrounding the stone were disabled upon it's removal so therefore both Hermione and Ron were able to pass through without using the potion<strong>


	8. Summer 1

AN- Another chapter of this story i do hope you like it and i hope you review. ENJOY

* * *

><p>Harry was sitting on the Hogwarts express; well he was actually lying down trying to sleep, when the door to his compartment burst open revealing his two friends Daphne and Draco. He sighed before sitting up, he had been trying to plan his holidays and while he enjoyed his friends company he needed silence to think. When they sat down he began to talk.<p>

"I find it hard to believe you two can walk together never mind be friends." He said as he readjusted himself against the window creating room for Daphne, which Draco took.

"Naturally you wouldn't with your lack of the ability to think." Said Daphne, opening a book and reading it.

The rest of the train ride went without a hitch well unless you count Granger appearing and asking questions about that night with the philosopher's stone only to be banished from the compartment with a flick of Harry's finger. His friends watched but didn't ask and Harry respected them for it all the more. After that he went to sleep with Daphne reading and Draco playing explosive solitaire.

As Harry stepped off the train he noticed his 'family' standing waiting for him, he didn't bother telling them what happened instead he just apparated straight to Diagon alley, he was careful to apparate straight into the alley itself so as o not trip off any alarms in the ministry. He quickly walked towards the old Leakey Cauldron pub and entered; walking towards tome he arranged for a room for the summer and told him not to disturb him for a month. Tom, having seen many things before, knew when to stay quiet and when to ask questions.

Harry walked to the now his room and sat down, he changed into his pyjamas even though it was only around midday and lay down upon the bed. As he did a white glow encompassed his body and he fell asleep.

* * *

><p>It was a month before Harry awoke, the spell had finally restored his body to its natural form and thus it cut itself out. Harry remembered when Helena had used the spell on him in the past; it had only taken two weeks. Harry stood up and went to put on some clothes only to find them all too small to fit him as he realized this he decided to inspect himself in the mirror. He now stood 5'2", his hair was now shoulder length and he no longer needed glasses. Tying his hair into a male ponytail he transfigured his clothes and walked down to the alley, his first stop was to get glasses; although he didn't need them he didn't want to explain the sudden lack of necessity. Halfway there he was forced to o to gringotts to get hold of money.<p>

Entering the great white halls of gringotts bank Harry walked up to the nearest teller and requested a claim of lordship. The goblin sneered, probably because lots of spoiled pureblood children tried to do the same thing only to fail. 'Oh boy where they in for a shock' he thought as he was led to an empty room. The goblin took out an ornate looking bowl and a ceremonial dagger before he began to explain. Harry barely listened, as he knew what to do, being there when the process was made.

One prick of his finger and Harry now had a very long and hyphenated surname it was basically the five founders of Hogwarts along with the Peverell and the black name what with Sirius being in prison. But for now Harry would go by the name of Potter until he was instated into the wizengamot after getting the customary things needed for money without the constant travel to gringotts and back Harry left, noting the respect that the goblins showed him because of the ring that now rested on his finger, 'oh if only they knew the half of it' he thought.

As Harry walked out of the opticians he couldn't help but wonder how he was going to get the rest of the items he needed, he had his glasses which were out fitted with zoom, light adjusting, x-ray, and mage sight but he couldn't go back to school looking like he was or people would ask questions, as he walked the streets he passed Ollivander's. The shop had been open even in his time and he knew something that few if any knew. If one look closer at Ollivander's sign they would see ever so slightly, also hidden by charms, that where it said 'selling wands' it also read 'among other things.' So his next stop was Ollivander's.

"Mr. potter? Is there something wrong with your wand." The old wand maker asked even though he probably knew why he was truly here.

"Yes and no Mr. Ollivander." He replied shocking the wand maker but he continued. "I am in need of _other_ services." He said stressing the word so as to get the point across. His request was met with the old man walking behind the counter and opening a door to a storeroom.

In the room Harry saw hundreds of medallions, rings and drawings, to which Ollivander revealed were runic tattoo templates. He browsed the shelf's looking for two particular things but also picking up things as he went along, finally after five minutes he found one medallion and one ring but he had also found one other medallion, two rings, and four runic tattoos. He went back to Ollivander to pay.

"Now lets see here," he began "a power suppressor amulet, a metamorphic ring, an invisibility ring, a ring of truth, a backup medallion, and four runic tattoos of, the elements, lightning, weather, and regeneration. All in all that will cost the total of fifty thousand galleons." He said not even blinking about the chosen items.

Harry paid the money and Ollivander began with the application of the tattoos. It stung like hell but Harry 'mentally' had been to war and back so he ignored it as one would a fly. When he was finished he put on the rings and changed his appearance to that of what he used to look like and put all the medallions in his pocket. Before turning to the wand maker and asking a question, "Mr. Ollivander you wouldn't happen to know he spell to fuse two objects, such as a wand, or an amulet would you?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. He needed that spell for when he found his wand. He had been to the burial sights of the founders and had found none of their wands (without disturbing the graves of course). He then went to gringotts and only found the wands of the four but not his.

"As a matter of fact I know of such a spell but what would you need it for?" the old man asked, the spell could be dangerous in the wrong hands.

"I want to fuse my wand with another, and I have these amulets to fuse also." Harry replied, as he said this the ring of truth glowed green showing that he wasn't deceitful and that those were his intentions. 'So it tells if I'm telling the truth also, well guess what you're being disabled of soon.' He thought

Ollivander sighed before divulging the spell, after testing it by fusing the amulets Harry walked out of the shop and back into the street. Hit was almost dark and Harry decided to get some dinner before going to bed, though he may have slept for a month he was tired with magical exhaustion. Tom was surprised to see him again, thinking he had left, but nonetheless he served him a meal that Harry happily wolfed down. After that he went to bed for a long needed and deserved true sleep.

* * *

><p>The next few days went as normal as possible, with only two weeks left until school started again the letters arrive. Harry went and got his shopping the moment they did, and placed them in his multi-compartment trunk. After that he just sat in the ice cream parlour doing his homework and waiting for his friends to arrive. His wait was not in vain as Daphne showed up a week after the letters arrived with Draco only an hour behind her. While Draco was accompanied by his parents' Daphne was not. So obviously he went to her first.<p>

Sneaking up on Daphne Greengrass was no easy feet, something that Harry unfortunately learned the hard way, but even with his increased speed and agility he was not able to avoid her hand when it suddenly smacked him across the cheek. When Harry finally was able o open his eyes again he say Daphne was looking not angry or happy but sad. He didn't even get time to ask what was up when she suddenly grabbed him and had him in a bone-crushing hug. While shocked that she was hugging him in the first place he was wondering what caused such a god forsaken (in the eyes of Daphne) act.

Doing the unbelievable, Harry separated the two of them and looked into her eyes, which were filled with tears. Summoning a tissue to dry them with he gave it to her to do so.

"No more crying?" he asked to which he received a nod,

"No more sad faces?" to which he received another.

"No more hitting me?" to which he received a no. Harry smiled and hugged her. "Good because you wouldn't be the same if you didn't," she just laughed. "Now why, besides the obvious did you decide to brand me with your hand?" he asked.

She took a deep breath before explaining, "well we, Draco and I, have been trying to reach your for the past month and a half, but you never replied. This was after the fact that you just vanished from the platform without saying goodbye to ANYBODY and now when you do show up it looks like you haven't changed a bit which means you were either still being abused or you haven't eaten in a month and a half. She finished, her voice getting higher pitched with every point she made.

Harry, to save her any more worry explained how he'd been out of contact for a month but the letters still never arrived anyway after that he showed her his true form but reverted to his other one very fast. And finally he apologized but said he had to leave the station early. Although she knew there was more, she accepted it, happy to have her friend back.

After that he went with her while she did her shopping catching up on what she did on her holidays, apparently she went to Italy, while there she studied a bit on the Italian way of magic and also got a tan. Harry was thankful he had something that changes 'every' appearance or he would be having a very awkward time.

An hour later, they headed for Flourish and Blotts. They were by no means the only ones making their way to the bookshop. As they approached it, they saw to their surprise a large crowd jostling out side the doors, trying to get in. The reason for this was proclaimed by a large banner stretched across the upper windows: GILDEROY LOCKHART will be signing copies of his autobiography MAGICAL ME today 12:30 P.m. to 4:30 P.m.

"We can actually meet him!" Daphne squealed unlike herself. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!" The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches but there were some men. A harassed-looking wizard stood at the door, saying, "Calmly, please, ladies... Don't push, they're ... mind the books, now, Harry grabbed a copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 for Daphne and sneaked up the line to her and gave it to her. After that he snuck off to the balcony where he saw a head of white blonde hair watching them.

"You know I like to be aware of my stalker's identity before I have them arrested." Harry said jokingly as he watched Gilderoy Lockhart come slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd. The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue that exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard's hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash. When he pushed Daphne out of the way of one Harry subtly sent him flying into a wall with a wave of his wand, his suppressor stopped him from doing wandless magic.

"Still protective I see." Draco said at last.

"Call me a fool." Harry said as he read a book with his back leaning against the railing.

"I have, several times in fact." Draco said causing Harry to smirk. "Nobody can fall in love at such a young age."

"Love is like a flower that must be given, at first it is a seed. Until it grows into a flower the seed must be nourished. Right now our relationship is the seed, it will be nourished until our relationship is a flower." Harry said wisely as if reading it from a book, when Draco looked back he saw that Harry WAS reading it from a book. "You actually thought I could come up with something as sappy as that?" he asked astonished.

The two laughed, but it was cut short by the loud voice of Lockhart "ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" The crowd cheered and clapped and Harry was disappointed to see Daphne among that group.

"How does she not realise he's a fake?" Draco asked reading his mind.

"She's a twelve year old girl, what do you expect." Was the answer.

The two went too leaved but stopped on the stairs when the heard voices they didn't want to confront. "Well, well, well - Arthur Weasley," said Mr. Malfoy.

"Lucius," said Mr. Weasley, nodding coldly.

"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Mr. Malfoy. "All those raids ... I hope they're paying you overtime." He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, from amid the glossy Lockhart books, a very old, very battered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration.

"Obviously not," Mr. Malfoy said. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it." Mr. Weasley flushed darker than either Ron or Ginny.

"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," he said.

"Clearly," said Mr. Malfoy, his pale eyes straying to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley ... and I thought your family could sink no lower" they turned to see that Mr. Weasley had thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him backward into a bookshelf. Dozens of heavy spell books came thundering down on all their heads; there was a yell of, "Get him, Dad!" from Fred or George; Mrs. Weasley was shrieking, "No, Arthur, no!"; the crowd stampeded backward, knocking more shelves over; "Gentlemen, please - please!" cried the assistant, Harry grew bored and flicked his wand causing the two men to be suspended in mid-air. Everybody turned to him and he suddenly realised that he had just preformed magic in the view of others; ignoring them Harry moved them apart.

"Two grown men fighting in public. Tut-tut" Harry said twisting his wand in his hand causing them to spin around slowly until they faced him, "one of the ministry's most esteemed members in a caveman like brawl with one of their not so esteemed. No offence." He said to Mr. Weasley not really caring whether or not he did take offence. He lowered them as he walked out the door but he didn't leave until he said. "Have a nice day gentlemen."

While he walked to the Leakey Cauldron Draco and Daphne caught up with them. They all laughed about what happened until they reached Harry's room.

"Father has decided to let me stay here for the duration of the holidays." Draco said after calming down

"I can do whatever I want so I might as well stay with you guys." Said Daphne

Harry was almost asleep so he just mumbled. "Kay" before snores replaced his voice.

It wasn't long before the summer was gone and the time for Hogwarts began the three arrived at the station a half hour early but they found the barrier blocked, Harry growled, literally, before grabbing the two and apparating them to the platform. They got a compartment and warded it to their best capabilities before they relaxed, when they did so Daphne asked, "What was that about?"

"Clearly somebody doesn't want us at Hogwarts this year." Harry answered.

"Not us. You." Draco stated bluntly

Harry didn't care whether there was danger or not, he was going to Hogwarts, he was going home. And he had his friends with him.

* * *

><p>a power suppressor amulet- is as it says<p>

a metamorphic ring- it is what it says but it needs to be recharged every two weeks, one if over-used

an invisibility ring-is as it says

a ring of truth-a lie detector

a backup medallion-creates a copy of the memory in case of damage or removal

runic tattoo of, the elements-gives controll of the four elements only as powerful as the host

runic tattoo of-weather - gives control over the weather, only as powerful as the host

runic tattoo of lightning- is what it says, only as powerful as the host

runic tattoo of regeneration- healing but draws on the host's power.

* * *

><p>NOTE-most of the Lockhart scene is from the book as i just couldn't make it that original.<p> 


	9. A little dose of Lockhart

A:N- This could possibly be the longest chapter I have written EVER. i was reading through my story so as to figure out what I'm doing how I'm going to finish, all that jazz. and guess what I noticed, I had been calling Helga HUfflepuff, Helena the entire time. not one of you decided to let me know :(. ANYWAY bad stuff aside enjoy the chapter and give a review to let me know what you think

* * *

><p>Harry sat and watched as a fresh new batch of first years were sorted, a majority were split evenly between the two houses with no-one making it into his, 'I'm not really surprised, after all it was disbanded after eight hundred years.' He thought with a hint of sadness in his thoughts, not due to the fact that his house was abandoned, no it was the fact that no child could meet such a feet. As a few came to sit down they wondered why one student stood out with white colours and a phoenix emblem, but they ignored it in favour of listening to the 'greatest wizard of the century.'<p>

Harry was also watching the wise old man as he delivered his speech only to be interrupted and summoned after calling for the food, while Harry wondered why, he also knew that he would know by morning. Otherwise he would make sure he found out. For the rest of the meal Harry ate, chatted, and flirted with Daphne. He was utterly unaware of a pair of brown eyes shifting to crimson red as they watched him.

* * *

><p>The next morning Harry awoke to Draco's snores, he made sure to get dressed and ready to leave before he decided to awaken the young prince, his reason for this was evident because as soon as he did awaken his sleeping friend, a wand was in his face and he was pinned to the wall by metal restraints while his friend shot stunners at everything he could see. After he was finished with his psychotic episode he took one look around the room and at Harry before he promptly fell out of bed due to laughter. Harry, because of the strength put into his restraints was actually stuck unless he could either remove his suppressor or get to his wand, sadly he could do neither making him feeling helpless.<p>

Draco, still laughing, couldn't help but laugh at his friend, "The great and powerful Harry Potter trapped by me, oh how I'm going to enjoy this." Raising his wand he was about to say a spell, when Daphne came in.

Seeing the situation Daphne banished Draco into a wall and summoned his wand, she looked around once again at the situation and sighed before shaking her head, "you two can't even be up for ten minutes before you start to fight. What happened his time?"

Harry after calming down from laughing at his friends predicament decided to answer her, "I tried to wake him up." He said with a gesture to his friend with his fingers. Earning a raised eyebrow from the girl and a snigger from Draco. Daphne released him from the wall and fixed Draco up. After that was done the three went to the great hall for breakfast.

Harry had only just started his porridge when, sure enough, there was a rushing sound overhead and a hundred or so owls streamed in, circling the hall and dropping letters and packages into the chattering crowd. He looked over to the gryffindor table as a big, lumpy package bounced off Neville's head and, a second later, something large and grey fell into Granger's jug, spraying them all with milk and feathers.

"Errol!" said Weasley, pulling the bedraggled owl out by the feet. Errol slumped, unconscious, onto the table, his legs in the air and a damp red envelope in his beak.

"Oh, no -" Weasley gasped.

"It's all right, he's still alive," said Granger, prodding Errol gently with the tip of her finger.

"It's not that - it's that." Weasley was pointing at the red envelope. It looked quite ordinary to Granger, but Weasley and Neville were both looking at it as though they expected it to explode. Even Harry recognised it as a howler.

"She's - she's sent me a Howler," said Ron faintly.

"You'd better open it, Ron," said Neville in a timid whisper. "It'll be worse if you don't my gran sent me one once, and I ignored it and" - he gulped - "it was horrible." Harry looked from their petrified faces to the red envelope. 'Oh this is going to be funny' he thought with a smirk on his face, a smirk that was matched by a majority of the slytherin table.

As the viciously loud voice of Mrs. Weasley filled the hall Harry couldn't help but compare her voice from that of Helga, in the end Helga won, but barely. When the howler finished all the slytherins laughed, along with a few from each house. It was a while before everybody calmed down, and when they did the teachers began handing out the timetables. As usual Harry summoned his with his wand from the hands of Dumbledore, and as usual he was annoyed to find himself paired with the Gryffindors again.

"So what have we got together this year?" asked Draco through a mouthful of toast.

"Uhm looks like herbology, potions, DADA, and transfiguration." Harry said distractedly, before he stood up and headed towards the greenhouses they crossed the vegetable patch, and made for the greenhouses, where the magical plants were kept.

As they neared the greenhouses they saw the rest of the class standing outside, waiting for Professor Sprout. They had only just joined them when she came striding into view across the lawn, accompanied by Gilderoy Lockhart. Professor Sprout's arms were full of bandages, and with another twinge of guilt, Harry spotted the Whomping Willow in the distance, several of its branches now in slings 'so the idiot not only flew a car to Hogwarts but also crashed into the Whomping Willow. Why?' Harry thought as he watched the tree struggle against its medical restraints. Harry activated his invisibility ring before the flamboyant professor noticed him, he had seen the way he watched Harry in Flourish and Blotts and he knew that he was planning to make Harry his new way of staying in the limelight.

"Oh, hello there!" he called, beaming around at the assembled students. "Just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow! But I don't want you running away with the idea that I'm better at Herbology than she is! I just happen to have met several of these exotic plants on my travels . . ."

"Greenhouse three today, chaps!" said Professor Sprout, who was looking distinctly disgruntled, not at all her usual cheerful self.

There was a murmur of interest. They had only ever worked in greenhouse one before - greenhouse three housed far more interesting and dangerous plants. Professor Sprout took a large key from her belt and unlocked the door. Harry caught a whiff of damp earth and fertilizer mingling with the heavy perfume of some giant, umbrella- sized flowers dangling from the ceiling, he stepped in before deactivating his ring after standing in-between his friends.

Professor Sprout was standing behind a trestle bench in the centre of the greenhouse. About twenty pairs of different-coloured earmuffs were lying on the bench. "We'll be repotting Man drakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Man drake?" To nobody's surprise, Granger's hand was first into the air.

"Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative," said Hermione, sounding as usual as though she had absorbed the textbook. "It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state." "Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor," said Professor Sprout. "The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?"

This time to everybody's surprise it was Harry's hand that shot up into the air, he didn't usually answer questions unless nobody knew the answer to, so with Granger in the class that was very rare. When the professor gestured he answered, "the cry of the mandrake is fatal to anybody who hears it, even an infant can knock somebody out for hours."

"Precisely," said Professor Sprout. "Now, the Mandrakes we have here are still very young." She pointed to a row of deep trays as she spoke, and everyone shuffled forward for a better look. A hundred or so tufty little plants, purplish green in colour, were growing there in rows.

"Everyone take a pair of earmuffs," said Professor Sprout.

There was a scramble as everyone tried to seize a pair that wasn't pink and fluffy. Harry just transfigured his into a pair of black ones.

"When I tell you to put them on, make sure your ears are completely covered," said Professor Sprout. "When it is safe to remove them, I will give you the thumbs-up. Right - earmuffs on." Harry snapped the earmuffs over his ears. They shut out sound completely. Professor Sprout put the pink, fluffy pair over her own ears, rolled up the sleeves of her robes, grasped one of the tufty plants firmly, and pulled hard.

Instead of roots, a small, muddy, and extremely ugly baby popped out of the earth. The leaves were growing right out of his head. He had pale green, mottled skin, and was clearly bawling at the top of his lungs. Harry couldn't help but laugh at it's appearance

Professor Sprout took a large plant pot from under the table and plunged the Mandrake into it, burying him in dark, damp compost until only the tufted leaves were visible. Professor Sprout dusted off her hands, gave them all the thumbs-up, and removed her own earmuffs.

"Four to a tray - there is a large supply of pots here - compost in the sacks over there, you know what to do." And with that she watched as they began their work.

* * *

><p>By the end of the class, Harry, like everyone else, was sweaty, aching, and covered in earth. Everyone traipsed back to the castle for a quick wash and then they hurried off to Transfiguration.<p>

For once, transfiguration was actually difficult. With Harry's power suppressor he was forced to actually try to change his beetle into a button, in all his effort he never noticed that he was the first one to do it correctly. The thin-lipped smile he received off Professor McGonagall was actually rather weird, but he accepted it with a gracious nod.

It appeared that Weasley was having trouble; his wand was patched together with spellotape and so his spells were malfunctioning, the sight of a wand that wasn't his reminded him to fuse his wands together. The only person who noticed that there were five wands on Harry's table was McGonagall but she didn't say anything, as she was curious as to what was going on. Harry was forced to take off his suppressor because the spell required a lot of power. The strict professor was further shocked as she recognised the amulet that was now on the table.

Harry cast the spell that he had only used once before. The last time the amulets melted into each other but this time it appeared to have a different effect. This time the wands shattered into a million pieces and then reassembled themselves into one wand. When Harry picked up the wand he felt a feeling of power and contentment run through his body, but he also felt like something was missing, His old wand from a thousand years ago.

Through all this McGonagall stayed silent and watched in shock, she memorized every detail about the five wands and planned to research them to find out that they belonged to. After all there was now way on earth that an eleven-year-old boy could possibly gain five wands through purchase.

Next the three went to lunch; Harry didn't stay long at all. Instead he merely ate then ran (with magic) to the astronomy tower. Even with the dull and grey clouds surrounding the sky the view from this place was so peaceful, so serene, that it just added to the magical effect of Hogwarts. That's why Harry built it. His time alone enjoying the view was disturbed by the sound of the door opening and closing. He heard the soft footsteps of what he knew was a girl before he saw the figure of Daphne sit next to him on the ledge.

"Why is it Daphne, that you and me have spent more time up here than the couples of Hogwarts?" He asked jokingly as the ten-minute warning bell for class was heard.

"Maybe because they don't work as well as we do." She said standing up next to him on the ledge.

Harry smirked before speaking again, "I know why I had to grow up, but why did you have to?"

Daphne stiffened but never lost that cold smirk on her face, "I'll tell you when you tell me why you did. I know there's more than the obvious."

The five-minute bell rang and Daphne knew they would be late for DADA but she never moved. Until Harry placed a hand on her waist and pulled her close, "hang on." He whispered in her ear, before he jumped from the ledge and plummeted to the ground.

To Harry's respect, Daphne never screamed her breathing just became louder and heavier, when they were twenty feet from the ground Harry slowed their decent to that of a feather falling. After they landed Harry used his speed to get them to the DADA classroom, before everybody went in Harry slipped his suppressor on causing Daphne to gasp at what I was. Harry just smirked, leaned in, and whispered, "I'm very powerful babe." After that they clambered through the door and took a seat near the back next to Draco. Who looked at them weirdly as if to say 'where have you been?'

When the whole class was seated, Lockhart cleared his throat loudly and silence fell. He reached forward, picked up Neville's copy of Travels with Trolls, and held it up to show his own, winking portrait on the front.

"Me," he said, pointing at it and winking as well. "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most- Charming-Smile Award - but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!" He waited for them to laugh; a few people smiled weakly.

"I see you've all bought a complete set of my books well done. I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in -" When he had handed out the test papers he returned to the front of the class and said, "You have thirty minutes - start - now!" Harry looked down at his paper and read:

1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart 's favourite colour?

2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?

3. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date.

On and on it went, over three sides of paper, right down to: 54. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be. Harry couldn't help but smile before answering.

Half an hour later, Lockhart collected the papers and rifled through them in front of the class. He stopped all smiles that he had when he read Harry's:

1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart 's favourite colour? -The gayest form of pink that any person can think of, when you have figured it out it's worse than that

2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition? – To come out of the closet without being discriminated by the wizarding world, no matter how many bogus rewards they gave him for shit he didn't do

3. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date? – Being able to walk in the door of the classroom without hitting on a single boy in the classroom.

He glared at Harry but didn't say anything for fear of ruining his image, or his supposed reputation of being friends with him.

"Tut, tut - hardly any of you remembered that my favourite colour is lilac. I say so in Year with the Yeti. And a few of you need to read Wanderings with Werewolves more carefully - I clearly state in chapter twelve that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between all magic and non-magic peoples - though I wouldn't say no to a large bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhisky!" He gave them another roguish wink that almost caused Harry to slice his neck open right there because of the looks Daphne was giving him

" . . . But Miss Granger and Miss Greengrass knew my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair-care potions - good girls! In fact" - he flipped her paper over - "full marks to both of you!"

If it wasn't for Harry's magic suppressor he would have been sparking with rage at the way Daphne was looking at Lockhart, he wasn't going to say anything, as he knew the fraud was going to be exposed. He shared a look with Draco and they both nodded, it would be by their hands.

"Excellent!" beamed Lockhart. "Quite excellent! Take ten points for Gryffindor and Slytherin! And so - to business -" He bent down behind his desk and lifted a large, covered cage onto it.

"Now - be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizard kind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. All I ask is that you remain calm." In spite of himself, Harry leaned around his pile of books for a better look at the cage. Lockhart placed a hand on the cover.

I must ask you not to scream," said Lockhart in a low voice. "It might provoke them." As the whole class held its breath, Lockhart whipped off the cover.

"Yes," he said dramatically. "Freshly caught Cornish pixies. "

Harry couldn't take it. He laughed, so hard that Draco had to join in, and causing many of the girls to glare at them.

"Of all the things you get, you choose something that parents have their kids clean up for chores." Harry said wiping a tear from his eyes

"Don't be so sure!" said Lockhart, waggling a finger annoyingly at Harry. "Devilish tricky little blighters they can be!" The pixies were electric blue and about eight inches high, with pointed faces and voices so shrill it was like listening to a lot of budgies arguing. The moment the cover had been removed, they had started jabbering and rocketing around, rattling the bars and making bizarre faces at the people nearest them.

"Right, then," Lockhart said loudly. "Let's see what you make of them!" And he opened the cage.

The pixies tried to shoot out but Harry raised a hand and screamed, "STOP." The pixies were quick to oblige.

Harry stood up and walked over to the professor's desk and sat down, he put his legs up on the desk and explained, "pixies, though they are devils, tricky, and cheekier than a twelve year old on a sugar rush, Are animals. They have animalistic instincts and tendencies. One of the animals most known instinct is to obey something that is stronger and a danger to them." He sat up and leaned on his arms before asking the class. "So ask yourself this. Am I an animal, or am I so powerful that they decided it's best to ignore that part and obey me?"

When Weasley wasn't happy, he shot up and asked, "How do we know their obeying you?"

Harry smiled and beckoned the pixie close to him, when he was he whispered something into his ear and dismissed him. After that the pixies proceeded to perform an Irish dance, midway through peeves floated in and participated with them. Harry simply smirked and said to the class, "how do you like me now?" after he said that the bell rang and he walked out. He never noticed a stray pixie follow him.

After class Draco and Daphne caught up with him, Draco was laughing but Daphne was trying not to.

Harry noticed and so asked what was wrong. "While I know it was funny you shouldn't have done that. That was a real lesson by a legend and you just disrupted it." Was the answer she gave him.

Harry didn't say anything for the sake of their friendship he just went to dinner.


	10. Another Eventful Halloween

AN- nothing really to say just a quick little hello, hope you enjoy yada yada, give a review. Lego-KIng out

* * *

><p>Harry spent a lot of time over the next few days dodging out of sight whenever he saw Gilderoy Lockhart coming down a corridor. He knew that technically he had broken no rules in class but nonetheless he had to be careful. Rumours had started about how he had used mind control to order pixies around, or how he was part animal as he suggested.<p>

Right now Harry was standing in the owlery talking to a certain, snow-white and motherly owl named hedwig, once again she was angry with him for not paying enough attention to her. "I'll tell you what, how about you show up at every lunch and I'll talk to you, feed you, and stroke your beak." Harry said in an offering tone. Hedwig shook her head, which Harry translated as 'I need my space you know.' Harry just shook his head in laughter before leaving.

As Harry passed the quidditch pitch he saw some commotion, ever the one to either stir it up or resolve it Harry couldn't help but go over.

"Flint!" Wood bellowed at the Slytherin Captain. "This is our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now!"

Marcus Flint was even larger than Wood. He had a look of trollish cunning on his face as he replied, "Plenty of room for all of us, Wood." Angelina, Alicia, and Katie had come over, too. There were no girls on the Slytherin team, who stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the Gryffindors,

"But I booked the field!" said Wood, positively spitting with rage. "I booked it!"

"Ah," said Flint. "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape. `I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker."' "You've got a new Seeker," said Wood, distracted. "Where." And from behind the six large figures before them came a seventh, smaller boy, smirking all over his pale, pointed face. It was Draco.

"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son." said Fred, looking at Draco with dislike.

"Funny you should mention Draco's father," said Flint as the whole Slytherin team smiled still more broadly. "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Slytherin team." All seven of them held out their broomsticks. Seven highly polished, brand-new handles and seven sets of fine gold lettering spelling the words Nimbus Two Thousand and One gleamed under the Gryffindors' noses in the early morning sun.

"Very latest model, only came out last month," said Flint carelessly, flicking a speck of dust from the end of his own. "I believe it outstrips the old Two Thousand series by a considerable amount. As for the old Cleansweeps" - he smiled nastily at Fred and George, who were both clutching Cleansweep Fives - "sweeps the board with them." None of the Gryffindor team could think of anything to say for a moment. Malfoy was smirking so broadly his cold eyes were reduced to slits.

"Oh, look," said Flint. "A field invasion." Weasley and Granger were crossing the grass to see what was going on.

"What's happening?" Weasley asked in general. "Why aren't you playing? And what's he doing here?" He was looking at Draco, taking in his Slytherin Quidditch robes.

"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley," said Draco, proudly.

"Everyone's just been admiring the brooms his father bought our team." Said Flint

Weasley gaped, open-mouthed, at the seven superb broomsticks in front of him.

"Good, aren't they." said Flint smoothly. "But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them." The Slytherin team howled with laughter.

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," said Granger sharply. "They got in on pure talent." The smug look on Flint's face flickered.

"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood," he spat.

It was at that moment that Harry made his presence known, by banishing flint into the wall of the pitch and suspending him their. "Don't you ever, I repeat EVER, say that term in my presence again. Do your hear me?" Harry said threateningly, pushing flint harder into the wall with ever word.

"I didn't know you were there." Flint gasped out through the pressure.

"Then I suggest you don't say it at all. After all you never know where I'll be." With one final push Harry released him and set him down, hard.

Weasley, not being happy with how Harry had handled the situation (without him) decided to add his own two cents. A loud bang echoed around the stadium and a jet of green light shot out of the wrong end of Ron's wand, hitting him in the stomach and sending him reeling backward onto the grass.

12 "Ron! Ron! Are you all right?" squealed Granger.

Weasley opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead he gave an almighty belch and several slugs dribbled out of his mouth onto his lap.

The Slytherin team were paralysed with laughter. Flint was doubled up, hanging onto his new broomstick for support. The rest of the team were in similar positions, even Draco. Though Harry didn't feel upset at him, after all he disliked Weasley too and couldn't help but chuckle himself.

He nodded to Draco and told him they'd talk later before he walked away from the pitch towards the school. He didn't ever pass the door when a high-pitched voice sounded from behind him. "I've been watching you." It said

Harry couldn't help but chuckle at the way it had said it but nonetheless he turned and faced it, he saw the same pixie he had told to dance in defence class. "And what have you seen little one." He said.

"You have a slight heart of mischief and a pure soul."

"And what would a pixie need with a pure soul like mine."

"I can help you with your mischief, you need company."

"I already have a familiar, I don't need another."

"Your familiar cannot cross the planes for another year. And there is nothing in the code that says you can't have two familiars."

"You can accompany me but I will not accept you as a familiar." Harry finished with a tone of finality; the little pixie could do nothing but nod as if it were expecting something like that.

It was lunchtime now and Harry had had nothing but a few slices of toast since dawn. He headed to the great hall and sat beside Daphne who was reading Break With A Banshee, one of Lockhart's books. He shook his head, knowing that any chances of a conversation were gone now.

Even though it was only the end of September, Daphne had become so fascinated by Lockhart tales that it was borderline obsession. She never noticed that Lockhart had stopped a transformation of a werewolf in one his, something totally impossible, or that he silenced a banshee, which is a ghost. The only one who paid more attention to the books and lessons more than she did was Granger, and that was expected.

His boring lunch was interrupted when something. It was a voice, a voice to chill the bone, a voice of breathtaking, ice-cold venom. It was barely audible due to the noise of the great hall but he managed to make out.

"Come ... come to me... Let me rip you... Let me tear you... Let me kill you. ."

"Sasha?" Harry said in a whisper but unfortunately Daphne heard him

"Who's Sasha?" she asked in an icy tone that was almost scarier than the whispers in the halls. Almost.

"None of your concern." He said, when he turned to look into her eyes he almost told her everything, Again, almost. He saw sadness and a hint of jealousy 'now you know how I fell when you talk about that idiot of a teacher' he thought with a hint of anger. "Nothing to worry your pretty little head about." He assured her falsely before he took off.

Harry made his way to the stone gargoyle that guarded the headmaster's office. The gargoyle stepped aside at his very presence. Apparently it had learned. He ran up to his old office and burst through the door shocking Albus Dumbledore from his paperwork.

It took Harry a moment to realise what he had done but nonetheless he continued on his errand. "Headmaster, I was wondering if I could borrow your sorting hat for a while." He asked politely and with respect, he really needed to talk to that hat.

Albus peered over his half moon glasses and gave Harry his stare. Every teacher has a trademark stare. For Dumbledore it's his 'x-ray' like feeling. For Snape it's his everlasting scowl. And for Harry it was a stare that made you feel like your soul is being weighed before his very eyes. When Harry didn't flinch Dumbledore asked why.

"I just need a first hand experience of Hogwarts history." Harry answered in a half lie or half-truth depending on your view.

"Very well Harry but do return him before the end of the year. We need him for the sorting." Harry nodded before grabbing the hat and walking out before he could awaken and talk.

Harry was just down the stairway when the hat decided to speak. "What took you so long Harry? I gave you your memories a year ago."

"I forgot." He answered lamely, "now shut up and help me out here. I just heard Sasha through the walls and she's got a bloodlust. But what I want to know is why I can't remember where the chamber of secrets is."

The hat took a moment before answering, "well Sasha was put under a spell that gives your brothers heir complete control over her, and as for why you can't remember where the chamber is it's because Salazar put a fidelius like spell on it so that the only way you can figure it out is the old fashioned way."

Harry sighed before taking the hat off his head and looking at it. "Well I've got you for a while so I might as well keep you around." With that he transfigured the hat into that of his everyday hat and replaced it.

'Get comfortable cause your stuck with me' Harry thought

'I think after a thousand years of your absence I can deal with it' the hat replied

October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle.

Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was kept busy by a sudden spate of colds among the staff and students. Her Pepperup potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterward.

Raindrops the size of bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the lake rose, the flower beds turned into muddy streams, and the castle had a permanent shine on it due to the rains glimmer.

By Halloween time the students came out of their sadness and into a new form of happiness. It was a very long day on Halloween; the upcoming anticipation seemed to slow time down to a near stop. When it was finally time for the feast everybody practically ran for the great hall. Unfortunately Harry, Daphne and Draco weren't among those because, as soon as the got out of the dungeons Harry heard Sasha.

"Harry, what're you -." "It's that voice again - shut up a minute -" " . . . sooo hungry . . . for so long . . ." "Listen!" said Harry urgently, and Daphne and Draco froze, watching him.

" . . . kill . . . time to kill . . ." The voice was growing fainter. Harry was sure it was moving away - moving upward. A mixture of fear and excitement gripped him as he stared at the dark ceiling; how could it be moving upward. The school would surely have noticed her by now.

"This way," he shouted, and he began to run, up the stairs, into the entrance hall. It was no good hoping to hear anything here, the babble of talk from the Halloween feast was echoing out of the Great Hall. Harry sprinted up the marble staircase to the first floor, Draco and Daphne clattering behind him.

"Harry, what're we -" "SHH!" Harry strained his ears. Distantly, from the floor above, and growing fainter still, he heard the voice: " . . . I smell blood . . .. I SMELL BLOOD!"

"Sasha what have you done." Harry said as he ran up the next flight of steps three at a time, trying to listen over his own pounding footsteps - Harry hurtled around the whole of the second floor, Daphne and Draco panting behind him, not stopping until they turned a corner into the last, deserted passage.

"Harry, what was that all about." said Draco, wiping sweat off his face. "I couldn't hear anything . . .." But Daphne gave a sudden gasp, pointing down the corridor.

"Look!" Something was shining on the wall ahead. They approached slowly, squinting through the darkness. Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches.

_The chamber of secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware._

"What's that thing - hanging underneath?" said Draco, a slight quiver in his voice.

As they edged nearer, Harry almost slipped - there was a large puddle of water on the floor; Draco and Daphne grabbed him, and they inched toward the message, eyes fixed on a dark shadow beneath it. All three of them realized what it was at once, and leapt backward with a splash. Mrs. Norris the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.

Harry turned to his friends "leave now" he ordered them when Daphne refused to go anywhere Harry told Draco to take her, a task which he was reluctant to fulfil. He didn't want to leave Harry either. But he ran anyway and disappeared son after.

Moments later A rumble, as though of distant thunder, told them that the feast had just ended. From either end of the corridor where they stood came the sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs, and the loud, happy talk of well-fed people; next moment, students were crashing into the passage from both ends.

The chatter, the bustle, the noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat. Harry stood alone, in the middle of the corridor, as silence fell among the mass of students pressing forward to see the grisly sight.

Then someone shouted through the quiet.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!" It was Marcus Flint. He had pushed to the front of the crowd, his usual emotionless face for once filled with excitement

"What's going on here? What's going on?" Attracted no doubt by Malfoy's shout, Argus Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. Then he saw Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror.

"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked.

And his popping eyes fell on Harry.

"You!" he screeched. "You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll -"

"Argus!" Dumbledore had arrived on the scene, followed by a number of other teachers. His eyes ignored Harry and fell on Mrs. Norris's rigid figure. As he examined the situation Harry looked out to the crowd and saw Draco holding Daphne, who couldn't look at Harry, too afraid for him. He nodded to Draco before turning his attention to Dumbledore

"Come with me, Argus," he said to Filch. "You, too, Mr. Potter." He said and began walking to Lockhart's office. The silent crowd parted to let them pass. Lockhart, looking excited and important, hurried after Dumbledore; so did Professors McGonagall and Snape.

As they entered Lockhart's darkened office there was a flurry of movement across the walls; Harry saw several of the Lockharts in the pictures dodging out of sight, their hair in rollers. The real Lockhart lit the candles on his desk and stood back. Dumbledore lay Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and began to examine her. Harry, stood next to him doing the same, though many thought he was just watching.

Over time Lockhart was hovering around, making suggestions.

"It was definitely a curse that killed her - probably the Transmogrifian Torture - I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there; I know the very countercurse that would have saved her. ...

Filch, who was a squib without a trace of magical knowledge to dispute the claims sucked them all up like a sponge, crying with every one.

" . . . I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadougou," said Lockhart, "a series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography, I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets, which cleared the matter up at once ...

The photographs of Lockhart on the walls were all nodding in agreement as he talked. One of them had forgotten to remove his hair net.

At last Harry had enough

"She's not dead, Filch," he said softly.

Lockhart stopped abruptly in the middle of counting the number of murders he had prevented. The other staff looked at Harry in shock that he knew such a thing before Dumbledore did

"Not dead." choked Filch, looking through his fingers at Mrs. Norris. "But why's she all - all stiff and frozen."

"She has been Petrified," said Harry ("Ah! I thought so!" said Lockhart). "But how, I cannot say . . .."

"You did it! You should know." Filch said still on the accusing side.

"No second year could have done this," said Dumbledore firmly. "It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced –

"He did it, he did it!" cried filch. "He had to have done it, why else would he have been there."

"If I might speak, Headmaster," said Snape from the shadows, and Harry wondered why

"Potter may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said, a slight sneer curling his mouth as though he doubted it. "But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why was he in the upstairs corridor at all? Why wasn't he at the Halloween feast."

Harry just kept quiet. That is until Dumbledore prompted him to answer. "If you looked closely at the calendar professor you would see that it's Halloween, The anniversary of my parent's death. Forgive me if I wasn't very hungry." He hated using his parents as an excuse but it was all he could think about without sounding like a madman.

Dumbledore was giving Harry a searching look. His twinkling light- blue eyes giving his teacher stare made Harry feel as though he were being X-rayed.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," he said firmly.

Snape looked furious. So did Filch.

"My cat has been Petrified!" he shrieked, his eyes popping. "I want to see some punishment!"

"We will be able to cure her, Argus," said Dumbledore patiently.

"Professor Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive Mrs. Norris." The aforementioned professor nodded.

"I'll make it," Lockhart butted in. "I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep -"

"Excuse me," said Snape icily. "But I believe I am the Potions master at this school." There was a very awkward pause.

"You may go," Dumbledore said to Harry. Who nodded and left quietly.

As he passed the door he felt something land in his pocket, presumably by switching spell. He looked down and opened it, it read:

_I recognise that ring you were, I think it's time we began._

The note wasn't signed but he knew whom it was from. With that he went to the dungeons and into his and Draco's room. He found Daphne asleep on his bed and Draco sitting on his own.

"What's wrong?" he asked Draco while he went to change

"Why did you make us leave?" he asked Harry who was putting on his pyjamas.

"In the morning you'll know." Harry said he conjured another bed for himself and sat down on it facing Draco. The two looked at Daphne for a moment before back to each other.

"She cried the whole time you know? She thought you were done for." Draco said quietly

Harry nodded, "I saw" before lying down, he still talked to Draco though "why is it that I can't get a normal year here." He asked suddenly after their talking went quiet

He never got a reply, as Draco was asleep. He sighed before he too allowed his dreams to take him to hopefully, better places


	11. Winter Wierdness

I'm having a very good weekend so I decided to make yours better by giving you this. enjoy for it will be a while before I give another one. REVIEW

* * *

><p>Harry awoke one morning to find the school abuzz with rumours<p>

The news that Colin Creevey had been attacked and was now laying as though dead in the hospital wing had spread through the entire school by breakfast, the air was suddenly thick with rumour and suspicion. The first years were now moving around the castle in tight-knit groups, as though scared they would be attacked if they ventured forth alone.

According to Draco, Ginny Weasley, who sat next to Colin Creevey in Charms, was distraught, but Harry felt no pity for the young girl after she had asked for an autograph, he felt no pity for the petrified boy either as it was he who had accompanied her.

Meanwhile, hidden from the teachers, a roaring trade in talismans, amulets, and other protective devices was sweeping the school.

Neville Longbottom bought a large, evil-smelling green onion, a pointed purple crystal, and a rotting newt tail before the other Gryffindor boys pointed out that he was in no danger; he was a pure- blood, and therefore unlikely to be attacked.

"They went for Filch first," Neville, said, his round face fearful. "And everyone knows I'm almost a Squib."

Needless to say Harry had another chat with the fearful boy, one hour later a pale and shaken Neville emerged from Harry's old quarters. He was terrified of Harry, but in his fear he forgot all about the impending doom.

In the second week of December Professor McGonagall came around as usual, collecting names of those who would be staying at school for Christmas. Harry signed his name without hesitation and he was surprised to see Draco did along with Daphne. Daphne was slightly mad at him still after the whole incident on the second floor corridor. She didn't understand that if Harry didn't stay it would make him look guilty, as nobody had seen him in four hours before it happened.

A week later, Harry, Draco, and Daphne were walking across the entrance hall when they saw a small group of people gathered around the notice board, reading a piece of parchment that had just been pinned up. Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas beckoned them over, looking excited.

"They're starting a Duelling Club!" said Seamus to Weasley, either having noticed them. "First meeting tonight! I wouldn't mind duelling lessons; they might come in handy one of these days ...

"What, you reckon Slytherin's monster can duel." said Weasley, but he, too, read the sign with interest.

"Fool," Harry muttered before he turned and walked to lunch, on their way there he turned to his friends, "shall we go?" he asked them

"Sure." Said Daphne

"It's not like we have anything better to do." Followed Draco

* * *

><p>That night they entered the great hall to find it full to the brim of people, a slight push and a bit of magic did wonders to move them apart and get the three to the front "I wonder who'll be teaching us." said Daphne as they reached the platform. "Someone told me Flitwick was a duelling champion when he was young - maybe it'll be him." That reminded Harry that he had a lesson to get to tomorrow, he was anxious enough as it was but to be reminded that Flitwick was a duelling champion made him just queasy.<p>

"As long as it's not -" Harry began, but he ended on a groan: Gilderoy Lockhart was walking onto the stage, resplendent in robes of luminous yellow and accompanied by none other than Snape, wearing his usual black.

Lockhart waved an arm for silence and called ' "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent! "Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little duelling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions - for full details, see my published works.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," said Lockhart, flashing a wide smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about duelling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry - you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!"

"This is going to be humorous." He whispered to Draco only to be shushed by Daphne. She never noticed Harry growl, in an animalistic way. Draco did.

Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed; at least, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Snape jerked his head irritably. Then they raised their wands like swords in front of them.

"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Harry murmured, watching Snape baring his teeth. Only to growl again when Daphne shushed him this time he bared fangs.

"One - two - three -" Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape cried: "Experliarmus!" There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: He flew backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to sprawl on the floor. Lockhart was getting unsteadily to his feet. His hat had fallen off and his wavy hair was standing on end.

"Well, there you have it!" he said, tottering back onto the platform.

"That was a Disarming Charm - as you see, I've lost my wand - ah, thank you, Miss Brown - yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy - however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see . . ." Snape was looking murderous. Even Harry did, he hated somebody taking credit for nothing. Lockhart had noticed Snape's anger, because he said, "Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me -" They moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Lockhart teamed Neville with Justin Finch-Fletchley, but Snape reached Harry and Draco first.

"You two." He began and pointed to a clear spot, "over there." And with that he walked off.

"Face your partners!" called Lockhart, back on the platform. "And bow!"

Harry and Draco nodded, they were going to duel like enemies, and enemies shouldn't bow. "Wands at the ready!" shouted Lockhart. "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents - only to disarm them - we don't want any accidents - one ... two ... three -"

Harry was in a duelling stance at one, Draco at two. Sadly they never got to utter the first syllable of the spell as pandemonium broke out. The turned to observe

A haze of greenish smoke was hovering over the scene. Both Neville and Justin were lying on the floor, panting; Weasley was holding up an ashen-faced Seamus, apologizing for whatever his broken wand had done; but Granger and Millicent Bulstrode were still moving; Millicent had Granger in a headlock and she was whimpering in pain; both their wands lay forgotten on the floor. Snape blasted the two apart before Lockhart spoke

"Dear, dear," said Lockhart, skittering through the crowd, looking at the devastation "I think Id better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," said Lockhart, standing flustered in the midst of the hall. He glanced at Snape, whose black eyes glinted, and looked quickly away. "Let's have a volunteer pair - Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you, -"

"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," said Snape, gliding over like a large and malevolent bat. "Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox." Neville's round, pink face went pinker. And for the third time that night Harry growled

"How about Malfoy and Potter." said Snape

"Excellent idea!" said Lockhart, gesturing Harry and Draco into the middle of the hall as the crowd backed away to give them room.

"Now, Harry," said Lockhart. "When Draco points his wand at you, you do this." He raised his own wand, attempted a complicated sort of wiggling action, and dropped it. Snape smirked as Lockhart quickly picked it up, saying, "Whoops -my wand is a little overexcited -" Snape moved closer to Draco, bent down, and whispered something in his ear.

Harry looked up at Lockhart and said, "Professor, could you go away please?" Lockhart looked affronted but nonetheless moved away

A minute later the two were in the middle of the platform. "Scared." muttered Draco jokingly,

"You wish." Harry shot back with a smile

It was then that Lockhart started and the two moved apart "Three - two - one - go!" he shouted suddenly, so much so that it took Draco a second to realise what was going on. Unfortunately for him, Harry didn't.

A flurry of hexes sailed past Draco as he ducked a weave to avoid them; he never noticed that Harry had moved closer with every one he sent. Harry stopped a foot away from Draco and lifted him into the air with a flick of his wand, he turned them both around and banished Draco to the other side of the platform causing him to land on his ass.

Draco stood up with rage, causing Harry to smirk, as he knew that Draco would loose all sense of thought in his blind anger. He was right because as he raised his wand he staggered, not knowing what spell to cast. Harry took this to his advantage; he quickly flipped Draco over and once again caused him to land on his ass. "Come on you can do better than that." Harry mocked.

Draco's anger reached new limits he forgot that is was his best friend, his brother in all but blood, he was duelling he raised his wand and bellowed, "Serpensortia!" The end of his wand exploded. Harry watched, his face passive, as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing the floor.

He looked to Draco with a smirk that could make you fear your own mother if he told you to and said, "watch this." He dropped his had to the snakes level, "_come to me little one_." The entire school watched in shock as the snake obeyed Harry's hisses and crawled up his arm and settled on his shoulder

He was also dimly aware of an ominous muttering all around the walls. Then he felt a tugging on the back of his robes.

"Come on," said Daphne's voice in his ear. "Move - come on -" she steered him out of the hall, Draco hurrying alongside them. As they went through the doors, the people on either side drew away as though they were frightened of catching something. Harry didn't have a clue what was going on, and neither Draco nor Daphne explained anything until they had dragged him all the way up to the empty Slytherin common room. Then Daphne pushed Harry into an armchair and said, "You're a Parselmouth. Why didn't you tell us?"

"Uhm forgot." He answered lamely; he had been using that excuse for a while now. One would think he could expand it.

"Forgot?" Shrilled Daphne, "how could you forget that you have a gift that hasn't been seen since the dark lord was walking and talking?"

Harry didn't answer because he was too busy thinking. 'That's not possible Salazar didn't have kids. And we killed his brother after he invaded the school, so then how can Parseltounge be passed on?" in his musings he never noticed Draco go to bed or Daphne fall asleep in the other armchair, quickly picking her up he brought her to their room, after the Mrs. Norris incident she had taken up residence with them. Nobody complained, though they did get a few weird looks. He laid her on her bed before he too went to sleep in his own.

* * *

><p>By next morning, the snow that had begun in the night had turned into a blizzard so thick that the last Herbology lesson of the term was cancelled: Professor Sprout wanted to fit socks and scarves on the Mandrakes, a tricky operation she would entrust to no one else, now that it was so important for the Mandrakes to grow quickly and revive Mrs. Norris and Colin Creevey.<p>

The castle was darker than it usually was in daytime because of the thick, swirling grey snow at every window. Shivering, Harry walked past classrooms where lessons were taking place, catching snatches of what was happening within. Professor McGonagall was shouting at someone who, by the sound of it, had turned his friend into a badger.

Resisting the urge to take a look, Harry walked on by, he was bored, he had nothing to do, he could even go to the astronomy tower because the wind would ruin any chance of peace he got so with that he went to professor Flitwick who he knew had a free class now.

As he entered the diminutive professor's classroom he saw the evidence of a fifth year practical class, with a quick wave of his wand all the broken vases were repaired and in a neat order, he never noticed when the half goblin wizard came in.

"Excellent work Harry." The professor praised as he led Harry into his office, "silent casting, and fourth year charms…." He rambled on, presumably to himself, but Harry listened anyway. He was so intent on paying attention that he actually wasn't, therefore he was surprised when the professor addressed him. "…. Harry?"

"Pardon?"

"I said can you remove your fascinating jewellery Harry?" the professor asked.

Harry sighed but nonetheless removed his rings, bar his house ring, and his amulet. As he did his body grew and his aura flared to life due to being restrained so much. After a moment and a bit of occlumency he managed to suppress his aura but he felt it still.

The professor was astounded that the child not only had such power, still to grow as well, but he also had some semblance of control over that power. He now knew how to begin his lessons. "Now Harry to begin our lessons we are going to duel." The professor said as he walked back out to the classroom and prepared it.

"But professor you have a lesson in half an hour." Harry said respectfully.

"Oh I know but it shouldn't take too long." The small professor said as he readied his duelling stance. "Come on get ready." He urged Harry seeing him still in shock, he quickly obliged and set into his own stance, "no permanent spells, no black arts, and first one to either be out of action, or concede loses. Now 3…. 2…1…go!" as he said go he moved and sent spells that Harry had no time to recognise, only to block with a duellist shield.

Harry returned fire with a wave of hexes; while the professor was dodging Harry sent charms at the desks and chairs to attack him, giving Harry even more time. But it wasn't much as the professor used his own duellist shield, a stronger one, and then destroyed the desks and chairs before they even got close. By now Harry was already charging a spell, he didn't use all his power but he used a majority of it. He shot the overcharged disarming spell at the professor and it destroyed his shield and ripped his wand from his hands. The professor wasn't phased in the slightest by this and used wandless magic to banish Harry into the tables. He didn't waste time and so sent many spells at Harry in an attempt to subdue him, all wandlessly. He forgot that Harry's shield was still up and so was surprised when Harry ran through the spells, his shield catching them all and kicked the professor. While the professor was recovering from the blow Harry sent waves of chains at him. They wrapped themselves around his legs and arms before the bolted themselves into the floor. Harry walked over to the professor and asked, "do you concede?" the reply he got was not one he expected. One moment he was staring at the professor, the next he was soaring across the classroom and into the desks. Standing up he cracked several parts of his body before he spoke "thought magic, most rare I must admit you surprised me. But sadly, I must end this. I have transfiguration next." With that he raised his hands, a red mist formed in them gap but it soon became as solid as a spell can be. He raised it above his head as it became twice as large. All this was done in the space of two seconds; he fired the spell with a cry of "it's over!"

What he didn't expect was for the spell to suddenly come back at him and hit him squarely in the face.

Harry awoke to see Flitwick standing over him, somehow out of his chains. The professor handed him a potion laced drink that he was told was a headache and an energizing potion, Harry immediately knew it was a hangover potion.

"What happened?" Harry asked as soon as he was capable of speech

"Well, after I sent you flying, I broke through your chains while you were charging that spell, a very powerful one I might add. After that I just charged my shield so it could reflect your spell. It worked but my shield shattered." He took a breath before adding a thought, "at this rate we should be both magically exhausted." To prove his point he cast a lumos spell with his wand only to have it flicker and die before their very eyes. Harry's test was similar but it lasted for two seconds. "Well there is nothing to o now so why don't you head off for transfiguration." Flitwick said gesturing Harry to the door. Harry picked up his rings and his amulet before he left.

After Harry left Flitwick turned to a spot on the wall as he did, Albus Dumbledore appeared out of thin air.

"You were watching Albus?" he said.

"Oh yes, I'm very proud of him now. I can't even fathom what he can become."

* * *

><p>Harry limped up the stairs and turned along another corridor, which was particularly dark; the torches had been extinguished by a strong, icy draft that was blowing through a loose windowpane. He was halfway down the passage when he tripped headlong over something lying on the floor.<p>

He turned to squint at what he'd fallen over and felt as though his stomach had dissolved.

Justin Finch-Fletchley was laying on the floor, rigid and cold, a look of shock frozen on his face, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. And that wasn't all. Next to him was another figure, the strangest sight Harry had ever seen.

It was Nearly Headless Nick, no longer pearly-white and transparent, but black and smoky, floating immobile and horizontal, six inches off the floor. His head was half off and his face wore an expression of shock identical to Justin's.

Harry got to his feet. He looked wildly up and down the deserted corridor and saw a line of spiders scuttling as fast as they could away from the bodies. The only sounds were the muffled voices of teachers from the classes on either side.

He could run, and no one would ever know he had been there. But he couldn't just leave them lying here.

Would anyone believe he hadn't had anything to do with this?

'Sasha who could possibly make you do this.' He thought

As he stood there, reflecting, a door right next to him opened with a bang. Peeves the Poltergeist came shooting out.

"Why, it's potty wee Potter!" cackled Peeves, knocking Harry's glasses askew as he bounced past him. "What's Potter up to. Why's Potter lurking -" Peeves stopped, halfway through a midair somersault. Upside down, he spotted Justin and Nearly Headless Nick. He flipped the right way up, filled his lungs and, before Harry could stop him, screamed, "ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!" Crash - crash - crash - door after door flew open along the corridor and people flooded out. For several long minutes, there was a scene of such confusion that Justin was in danger of being squashed and people kept standing in Nearly Headless Nick. Harry found himself pinned against the wall as the teachers shouted for quiet. Professor McGonagall came running, followed by her own class, one of whom still had black-and-white-striped hair. She used her wand to set off aloud bang, which restored silence, and ordered everyone back into their classes. No sooner had the scene cleared somewhat than Ernie the Hufflepuff arrived, panting, on the scene.

"Caught in the act!" Ernie yelled, his face stark white, pointing his finger dramatically at Harry. Harry was confused as to why he held such antagonism towards him but ignored it

"That will do, Macmillan!" said Professor McGonagall sharply.

Peeves was bobbing overhead, now grinning wickedly, surveying the scene; Peeves always loved chaos. As the teachers bent over Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, examining them, Peeves broke into song: "Oh, Potter, you rotter, oh, what have you done, You're killing off' students, you think it's good fun -"

"That's enough Peeves!" barked Professor McGonagall, and Peeves zoomed away backward, with his tongue out at Harry.

Professor Vector and Professor Sinistra carried Justin up to the hospital wing, but nobody seemed to know what to do for Nearly Headless Nick. In the end, Professor McGonagall conjured a large fan out of thin air, which she gave to Ernie with instructions to waft Nearly Headless Nick up the stairs.

This Ernie did, fanning Nick along like a silent black hovercraft. This left Harry and Professor McGonagall alone together.

"This way, Potter," she said.

"Professor," said Harry at once, "I swear I didn't -" "This is out of my hands, Potter," said Professor McGonagall curtly.

They marched in silence around a corner and she stopped before a large and extremely ugly stone gargoyle. 'Oh crap' thought Harry as the gargoyle stepped aside for them to enter.

They stepped off the stone staircase at the top, and Professor

McGonagall rapped on the door. It opened silently and they entered.

Professor McGonagall told Harry to wait and left him there, alone.

He wasn't alone after all. Standing on a golden perch behind the door was a decrepit-looking bird that resembled a half-plucked turkey.

Harry stared at it and the bird looked balefully back, making its gagging noise again. Harry knew it looked very ill. Its eyes were dull and, even as Harry watched, a couple more feathers fell out of its tail.

Harry was just thinking that all he needed was for Dumbledore's pet bird to die while he was alone in the office with it, when the bird burst into flames.

The office door opened. Dumbledore came in, looking very sombre.

"Professor," Harry gasped. "Your Phoenix appears to be on a burning day " To Harry's amusement, Dumbledore smiled.

"About time, too," he said. "He's been looking dreadful for days; I've been telling him to get a move on."

"It's a shame you had to see him on a Burning Day," said Dumbledore, seating himself behind his desk. "He's really very handsome most of the time, wonderful red and gold plumage. Fascinating creatures," Harry agreed, he couldn't wait to have his best friend back. But a year was a long time

Harry had forgotten what he was there for, but it all came back to him as Dumbledore settled himself in the high chair behind the desk and fixed Harry with his penetrating, light-blue stare.

Before Dumbledore could speak another word, however, the door of the office flew open with an almighty bang and Hagrid burst in, a wild look in his eyes, his balaclava perched on top of his shaggy black head and the dead rooster still swinging from his hand.

"It wasn' Harry, Professor Dumbledore!" said Hagrid urgently. Dumbledore tried to say something, but Hagrid went ranting on, waving the rooster around in his agitation, sending feathers everywhere.

"- It can't've bin him, I'll swear it in front o' the Ministry o' Magic if I have to -" "Hagrid, I -" "- yeh've got the wrong boy, sir, I know Harry never '

"Hagrid!" said Dumbledore loudly. "I do not think that Harry attacked those people."

"Oh," said Hagrid, the rooster falling limply at his side. "Right. I'll wait outside then, Headmaster." And he stomped out looking embarrassed.

"You don't think it was me, Professor." Harry repeated curiously as Dumbledore brushed rooster feathers off his desk.

"No, Harry, I don't, I know your duel with Filius was very time consuming" said Dumbledore, with a smile. "No off you go." Harry was quick to oblige

* * *

><p>The double attack on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick turned what had been nervousness into real panic. Curiously, it was Nearly Headless Nick's fate that seemed to worry people most. What could possibly do that to a ghost? People asked each other; what terrible power could harm someone who was already dead. There was almost a stampede to book seats on the Hogwarts Express so that students could go home for Christmas.<p>

Christmas came soon and it was a quiet Harry that emerged from his four-poster that morning, he and Daphne woke Draco. Harry didn't have to put on his metamorphic ring until they left common room, which was a while because they had so much fun opening presents. They had a snowball fight until lunch, Daphne lost after Draco called his brother in arms into a mutiny against the girl he fancied. Then they did nothing but sit by the fire till dinner.

At dinner, Harry couldn't help but admire the great hall, it looked magnificent. Not only were there a dozen frost-covered Christmas trees and thick streamers of holly and mistletoe crisscrossing the ceiling, but also enchanted snow was falling, warm and dry, from the ceiling. Dumbledore led them in a few of his favourite carols, Hagrid booming more and more loudly with every goblet of eggnog he consumed. Percy, who hadn't noticed that Fred had bewitched his prefect badge so that it now read "Pinhead," kept asking them all what they were sniggering at.

Harry left early, he walked to the astronomy tower where he stood on the ledge once more, and it wasn't long before the cold air forced Harry to retreat inside. It was a slightly bitter Harry that met Draco and Daphne on their way to the slytherin common room.

"Where were you?" asked Daphne as they reached the portrait, that opened immediately at the presence of Harry

"At the tower."

They sat down, Harry in an armchair and Draco and Daphne on the sofa, they sat in silence until Draco asked, "what do you think about the attacks."

"I think whoever is doing it is getting cocky." Harry said straightforwardly.

"How?" asked Daphne

"Think about it, it fir started during a feast. Where the culprit could get away with it, then a lonely kid in broad daylight. And then two people, on a ghost during class time. All evidence points to the fact that they're getting bolder." Harry said his expression becoming sadder with every analogy. "What's worse is I can't do anything about it because I can't find that thrice damned chamber." As he said this he had started pacing. He stopped and took off his metamorphic ring, completely missing the wide eyes of his two companion, he stared at the ring and then his form in the mirror before speaking, "I think I'll revert to my normal form next year, I'm rather sick of looking this way. I'm going to bed guys I'll see you in the morning." With that he went to bed but didn't go to sleep, it was half an hour before Daphne and Draco came in. because of the darkness he never saw the dazed look on their faces.


	12. Another Year Gone

A-N: A new chapter, I actually hope you like it. any problems let me know and i'll se if i can fix them. the next one should be up before Christmas but don't count on it.

* * *

><p>Harry stared at the entrance to the bathroom as it glowed and opened, a thousand years ago he would have been happy to enter this place, knowing that his brother would be there waiting for him. But now, as he walked to the edge of the hole, he wanted nothing more than to rune away like the twelve year old that he is.<p>

A month ago the houses of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had fallen into depression because of an attack on each of their house. Hermione Granger and Penelope Clearwater now lay in the hospital wing, the Weasley's had taken time to visit each of them but Harry couldn't care, there fate was not permanent.

To make matters worse Dumbledore had been banished from the castle two weeks later, many had been worried about the safety of the school without the wizened headmaster, so much so that there was talk about the school closing.

Harry nodded to Draco before the two jumped in, when news of Ginny Weasley's capture had spread throughout the school people had noticed that Daphne Greengrass had gone missing as well and had drawn there own conclusions. Harry had been smart enough to notice to realize that all the messages were on the second floor in the vicinity of the bathroom and so he investigated. As he did so he interrogated Moaning Myrtle and presto, he was here.

It was like rushing down an endless, slimy, dark slide. He could see more pipes branching off in all directions, but none as large as theirs, which twisted and turned, sloping steeply downward, and he knew that he was falling deeper below the school than even the dungeons.

Behind him he could hear Draco, thudding slightly at the curves.

And then, just as he had begun to worry about what would happen when he hit the ground, the pipe levelled out, and he shot out of the end with a wet thud, landing on the damp floor of a dark stone tunnel large enough to stand in. Harry stood aside as Draco came whizzing out of the pipe, too.

"We must be miles under the school," said Harry, his voice echoing in the black tunnel.

"Under the lake, probably," said Draco, squinting around at the dark, slimy walls.

The two of them turned to stare into the darkness ahead.

"Lumos!" Harry muttered and a ball of light appeared in his hand

"C'mon," he said to Draco, and off they went, their footsteps slapping loudly on the wet floor.

The tunnel was so dark that they could only see a little distance ahead.

Their shadows on the wet walls looked monstrous in the light.

"Remember," Harry said quietly as they walked cautiously forward, "any sign of movement, close your eyes right away. ...

But the tunnel was quiet as the grave, and the first unexpected sound they heard was a loud crunch as Draco stepped on what turned out to be a rat's skull. Harry lowered his wand to look at the floor and saw that it was littered with small animal bones. Trying very hard not to imagine what Daphne might look like if they found her, Harry led the way forward, around a dark bend in the tunnel.

The only just got around the first corner when they heard noise from behind them, he turned to Draco before speaking, "you did close the entrance before you came down didn't you?" he didn't even need an answer because as soon as Draco opened his mouth two figures appeared at the corner. Harry had just enough time to get his wand into his hand as Ron Weasley and Gilderoy Lockhart showed up, the latter being held hostage.

"Well Weasley I have to commend you, you apparently have more talent than Lockhart, not really a challenge mind you but nonetheless." In a flash he was behind Ron with his wand at the back of his skull, it's tip-flaring red, "now what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to save my sister," Weasley answered with a surprisingly determined tone.

Harry knew he had no chance of talking him out of it and wasn't going to risk the time he could be using to save Daphne with a petty squabble with that they headed off

"Remember," Harry said quietly as they walked cautiously forward, "any sign of movement, close your eyes right away. ...

But the tunnel was quiet as the grave, and the first unexpected sound they heard was a loud crunch as Ron stepped on what turned out to be a rat's skull. Harry lowered his wand to look at the floor and saw that it was littered with small animal bones. Trying very hard not to imagine what Daphne might look like if they found her, Harry led the way forward, around a dark bend in the tunnel.

"Harry - there's something up there -" said Draco hoarsely, grabbing Harry's shoulder.

They froze, watching. Harry could just see the outline of something huge and curved, lying right across the tunnel. It wasn't moving.

"Maybe it's asleep," Weasley breathed, glancing back at the other three.

Lockhart's hands were pressed over his eyes. Harry turned back to look at the thing, his heart beating so fast it hurt.

Very slowly, his eyes as narrow as he could make them and still see, Harry edged forward, his hand held high.

The light slid over a gigantic snakeskin, of a vivid, poisonous green, lying curled and empty across the tunnel floor. The creature that had shed it must have been twenty feet long at least.

"Blimey," said Weasley weakly.

There was a sudden movement behind them. Gilderoy Lockhart's knees had given way.

"Get up," said Weasley sharply, pointing his wand at Lockhart.

Lockhart got to his feet - then he dived at Ron, knocking him to the ground.

Harry jumped forward, but too late - Lockhart was straightening up, Draco tried drawing his wand but he was banished into a wall

"The adventure ends here, boys!" he said. "I shall take a bit of this skin back up to the school, tell them I was too late to save the girl, how you two," he gestured to Harry and Draco "were helping miss Greengrass all along and how I defeated you, but sadly you mister Weasley lost his mind at the death of his sister!" He raised Ron's Spellotaped wand high over his head and yelled, "Obliviate!" The wand exploded with the force of a small bomb. Harry raised a shield but the force in which one of the rocks hit it sent him flying in the air and over the snakeskin out of the way of the cave in. Next moment, he was standing alone, gazing at a solid wall of broken rock.

"Draco!" he shouted. "Are you okay?" "I'm here!" came Draco's muffled voice from behind the rock fall. "I'm okay - this gits not, though - he got blasted by Weasley's wand and the two of them got hit on the head and are now unconscious, I'm stuck with a Weasley and a fraud DOES IT SEEM LIKE I'M OKAY?" Draco finished with a shout causing Harry to chuckle despite the situation.

"What now." Draco voice said, sounding desperate. " I can't think of anything to get us through magically. Can you?"

Harry looked up at the tunnel ceiling. Huge cracks had appeared in it. "No, not right now at least. Do what you can for now I'll go and get Daphne." He never heard a reply as he went down the passage a magically enhanced pace.

The tunnel turned and turned again. Every nerve in Harry's body was tingling unpleasantly. He wanted the tunnel to end, so he could find out who had caused so much destruction in his beloved school, but at the same time he was fearful, this was Salazar's supposed heir, I he had even a fraction of knowledge that Salazar had then this could be difficult. He could counter most of what he could have learned from his brother but his juvenile body would suffer if he tried to mimic it.

And then, at last, as he crept around yet another bend, he saw a solid wall ahead on which two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds. Harry merely flashed his ring of slytherin and they opened for him without complaint.

He was standing at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place.

His heart beating very fast, Harry stood listening to the chill silence.

Why was it so quiet?

He pulled out his wand and moved forward between the serpentine columns. Every careful footstep echoed loudly off the shadowy walls.

As he drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall.

Harry had to crane his neck to look up into the giant face above: It was ancient and monkeyish, with a long, thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes, where two enormous grey feet stood on the smooth Chamber floor. 'Always the vain one weren't you brother' Harry thought as he looked around between the feet, facedown, laid a small, black-robed figure with flaming-red hair. And attached to the neck by chains was a raven-haired goddess, also in black robes.

Harry didn't reach for either of them due to the presence of a third figure. A tall, black-haired boy was leaning against the nearest pillar, watching. He was strangely blurred around the edges, as though Harry were looking at him through a misted window.

"Are you a ghost?" Harry said uncertainly.

"A memory," said Riddle quietly. "Preserved in a diary for fifty years.

He pointed toward the floor near the statue's giant toes. Lying open there was the little black diary Harry had never seen before but could sense the very essence of evil that lay inside it. It was this fact that made Harry guess who it was; he had sensed that evil before, only a year ago to be exact.

"So should I call you Tom or Voldemort?" Harry asked having done only a little bit of research on his enemy through fate, but enough to know about his Hogwarts years.

"Ah so you know my name. Very good Harry very good, would you care to guess as to how I am here in a teenage body."

"The diary, I presume." Harry said in an uninterested tone, annoyed at how Riddle just treated him like a five year old.

"The diary," said Riddle. `My diary, Little Ginny's been writing in it for months and months, telling me all her pitiful worries and woes - how her brothers tease her, how she had to come to school with second-hand robes and books, how" -Riddle's eyes glinted "how she didn't think famous, good, great Harry Potter would ever like her . . .. How she was jealous at how you looked at the young Greengrass." All the time he spoke, Riddle's eyes never left Harry's face, even as he gestured to Daphne on his final point. There was an almost hungry look in them.

"It's very boring, having to listen to the silly little troubles of an eleven- year-old girl," he went on. "But I was patient. I wrote back. I was sympathetic. I was kind. Ginny simply loved me. No one's ever understood me like you, Tom... I'm so glad I've got this diary to confide in... It's like having a friend I can carry around in my pocket . . ..

Riddle laughed, a high, cold laugh that didn't suit him. It made the hairs stands up on the back of Harry's neck.

"If I say it myself, Harry, I've always been able to charm the people I needed. So Ginny poured out her soul to me, and her soul happened to be exactly what I wanted... I grew stronger and stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful, far more powerful than little Miss Weasley. Powerful enough to start feeding Miss Weasley a few of my secrets, to start pouring a little of my soul back into her . . ."

"So you possessed her and opened the chamber, technically you were the heir so Sasha obeyed you." Harry finished for him

"Oh so you know the basilisk's name do you Harry?" he didn't bother for an answer, "but that piece of trivia won't help you against the greatest sorcerer in the world"

"You're not," he said, his quiet voice full of hatred.

"Not what." snapped Riddle.

"Not the greatest sorcerer in the world," said Harry, breathing fast.

"Sorry to disappoint you and all that, but the greatest wizard in the world is Albus Dumbledore. Everyone says so. Even when you were strong, you didn't dare try and take over at Hogwarts. Dumbledore saw through you when you were at school and he still frightens you now, wherever you're hiding these days -" The smile had gone from Riddle's face, to be replaced by a very ugly look.

"Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me!" he hissed.

"He's not as gone as you might think! He's a part of this school just as much as the founders" Harry retorted. He was speaking at random, wanting to scare Riddle, wishing rather than believing it to be true Riddle opened his mouth, but froze.

Music was coming from somewhere. Riddle whirled around to stare down the empty Chamber. The music was growing louder. It was eerie, spine tingling, unearthly; it lifted the hair on Harry's scalp and made his heart feel as though it was swelling to twice its normal size.

Then, as the music reached such a pitch that Harry felt it vibrating inside his own ribs, flames erupted at the top of the nearest pillar.

A crimson bird the size of a swan had appeared, piping its weird music to the vaulted ceiling. It had a glittering golden tail as long as a peacock's and gleaming golden talons, which were gripping a ragged bundle.

A second later, the bird was flying straight at Harry. It dropped the ragged thing it was carrying at his feet, and then landed heavily on his shoulder. As it folded its great wings, Harry looked up and saw it had a long, sharp golden beak and a beady black eye.

The bird stopped singing. It sat still and warm next to Harry's cheek, gazing steadily at Riddle.

"That's a phoenix said Riddle, staring shrewdly back at it.

"Fawkes." Harry breathed, and he felt the bird's golden claws squeeze his shoulder gently

"And that -" said Riddle, now eyeing the ragged thing that Fawkes had dropped, "that's the old school Sorting Hat -"

So it was. Patched, frayed, and dirty, the hat lay motionless at Harry's feet. 'I thought I was wearing him, oh well that explains the silence."

Riddle began to laugh again. He laughed so hard that the dark chamber rang with it, as though ten Riddles were laughing at once "This is what Dumbledore sends his defender! A songbird and an old hat! Do you feel brave, Harry Potter. Do you feel safe now?" Harry didn't answer. He might not see what use Fawkes or the Sorting Hat were, but he was no longer alone, and he waited for Riddle to stop laughing with his courage mounting.

"To business, Harry," said Riddle, still smiling broadly. "Twice - in your past, in my future - we have met. And twice I failed to kill you. How did you survive? Tell me everything. The longer you talk," he added softly, "the longer you stay alive." Harry was thinking fast, weighing his chances.

He, Harry, had Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, neither of which would be much good in a duel. He had a wand but from the looks of it, riddle was incorporeal. It looked bad, all right ... but the longer Riddle stood there, the more his chances of saving Daphne, and, he supposed Weaslette as well, were fading The hypothetical timer being Riddle's outline, which was becoming clearer by the minute.

"No one knows why you lost your powers when you attacked me," said Harry abruptly. "I don't know myself. But I know why you couldn't kill me, because my mother died to save me. My common Muggle-born mother," he added, shaking with suppressed rage. "She stopped you killing me. And I've seen the real you, I saw you last year. You're a wreck. You're barely alive. That's where all your power got you. You're in hiding. You're ugly, you're foul -"Riddle's face contorted. Then he forced it into an awful smile.

"So. Your mother died to save you. Yes, that's a powerful countercharm. I can see now ... there is nothing special about you, after all. I wondered, you see. There are strange likenesses between us, after all.

Even you must have noticed. Both half bloods, orphans, raised by Muggles, Probably the only two Parselmouths to come to Hogwarts since the great Slytherin himself We even look something alike ... but after all, it was merely a lucky chance that saved you from me. That's all I wanted to know." Harry stood; tense, waiting for Riddle to raise his wand. But Riddle's twisted smile was widening again.

"Now, Harry, I'm going to teach you a little lesson. Let's match the powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against famous Harry Potter, and the best weapons Dumbledore can give him . . .." He cast an amused eye over Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, and then walked away. Harry, fear spreading up his numb legs, watched Riddle stop between the high pillars and look up into the stone face of Slytherin, high above him in the half-darkness. Riddle opened his mouth wide and hissed - but Harry understood what he was saying...

"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four. " Harry wheeled around to look up at the statue, Fawkes swaying on his shoulder.

Salazar's gigantic stone face was moving. Horror-struck, Harry saw his mouth opening, wider and wider, to make a huge black hole.

And something was stirring inside the statue's mouth. Something was slithering up from its depths. Harry backed away until he hit the dark Chamber wall, and as he shut his eyes tight he felt Fawkes' wing sweep his cheek as he took flight.

Something huge hit the stone floor of the Chamber. Harry felt it shudder - he knew what was happening, he could sense it, could almost see the giant serpent uncoiling itself from Slytherin's mouth.

Then he heard Riddle's hissing voice: "Kill him. " The basilisk was moving toward Harry; he could hear its heavy body slithering heavily across the dusty floor. Eyes still tightly shut, Harry began to run blindly sideways, his hands outstretched, feeling his way - Voldemort was laughing Harry tripped. He fell hard onto the stone and tasted blood the serpent was barely feet from him, he could hear it coming There was a loud, explosive spitting sound right above him, and then something heavy hit Harry so hard that he was smashed into the wall.

Waiting for fangs to sink through his body he heard more mad hissing, something thrashing wildly off the pillars He couldn't help it - he opened his eyes wide enough to squint at what was going on.

The enormous serpent, bright, poisonous green, thick as an oak trunk, had raised itself high in the air and its great blunt head was weaving drunkenly between the pillars. As Harry trembled, ready to close his eyes if it turned, he saw what had distracted the snake.

Fawkes was soaring around its head, and the basilisk was snapping furiously at him with fangs long and thin as sabres Fawkes dived. His long golden beak sank out of sight and a sudden shower of dark blood spattered the floor. The snake's tail thrashed, narrowly missing Harry, and before Harry could shut his eyes, it turned - Harry looked straight into its face and saw that its eyes, both its great, bulbous yellow eyes, had been punctured by the phoenix; blood was streaming to the floor, and the snake was spitting in agony.

"NO!" Harry heard Riddle screaming. "LEAVE THE BIRD! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU. YOU CAN STILL SMELL HIM. KILL HIMI" The blinded serpent swayed, confused, still deadly. Fawkes was circling its head, piping his eerie song, jabbing here and they're at its scaly nose as the blood poured from its ruined eyes.

Something soft hit his face.

The basilisk had swept the Sorting Hat into Harry's arms. Harry seized it. It was all he had left, his only chance - he rammed it onto his head and threw himself flat onto the floor as the basilisk's tail swung over him again.

'Help me - help me' Harry thought, his eyes screwed tight under the hat.

'Please help me my old friend' There was no answering voice. Instead, the hat contracted, as though an invisible hand was squeezing it very tightly.

Something very hard and heavy thudded onto the top of Harry's head, almost knocking him out. Stars winking in front of his eyes, he grabbed the top of the hat to pull it off and felt something long and hard beneath it. (Being 14 I couldn't help but laugh here.) He pulled out a piece of metal that was the size of a wand. It was his wand. Somebody must have placed it into the sorting hat when he died.

Forcing his magic into the silver wand, it soon took the shape of a cutlass that suited Harry perfectly.

"KILL THE BOY! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU. SNIFF - SMELL HIM."

Harry was on his feet, ready. The basilisk's head was falling, its body coiling around, hitting pillars as it twisted to face him. He could see the vast, bloody eye sockets, see the mouth stretching wide, wide enough to swallow him whole, lined with fangs long as his sword, thin, glittering, venomous - It lunged blindly - Harry dodged and it hit the Chamber wall. It lunged again, and its forked tongue lashed Harry's side. He raised the sword in both his hands - The basilisk lunged again, and this time its aim was true - Harry threw his whole weight behind the sword and drove it to the hilt into the roof of the serpent's mouth - But as warm blood drenched Harry's arms, he felt a searing pain just above his elbow. One long, poisonous fang was sinking deeper and deeper into his arm and it splintered as the basilisk keeled over sideways and fell, twitching, to the floor.

Harry slid down the wall. He gripped the fang that was spreading poison through his body and wrenched it out of his arm. But he knew it was too late. White-hot pain was spreading slowly and steadily from the wound. Even as he dropped the fang and watched his own blood soaking his robes, his vision went foggy. The Chamber was dissolving in a whirl of dull colour.

Using what strength he had left he crawled over to the lifeless form of Ginerva Weasley and grabbed the diary out from her cold hands. As he pulled the fang out from his arm he felt the pain worsen almost to the point where Harry could do no more. He raised the fang in his hands, ignoring the protest and shouts of Riddle and drove the fang into the diary with the last remaining strength he had.

There was a long, dreadful, piercing scream. Ink spurted out of the diary in torrents, streaming over Harry's hands, flooding the floor.

Riddle was writhing and twisting, screaming and flailing and then He had gone. Harry's wand fell to the floor with a clatter and there was silence. Silence except for the steady drip of ink still oozing from the diary, the basilisk venom had burned a sizzling hole right through it.

As Harry laid down to rest he closed his eyes, feeling himself sink into oblivion painlessly. That was, until his scar erupted in pain he sat up involuntarily, unaware that three sets of eyes were watching him, one avian, two human. As he stared at the floor from his kneeling position he watched as a black mist seeped from his scar, and a green ooze drip to the floor. While he had no idea what had happened he felt his body was lighter than ever before. As he looked at his arm he saw that the wound had a dried yellow liquid around the cut, it had mixed with his blood. He knew without a doubt that he was healed.

Standing up he turned around to see the shocked faces of two girls, and the golden eyes of a phoenix. The phoenix flew over to his arm while the raven-haired girl that Harry was infatuated with flung herself into his arms. They didn't say words as they stared into each other's eyes both pairs filled with emotions, one with tears.

After his arm was healed Harry walked over to the sorting hat, "sorry old friend but I know Dumbledore and I'm not letting him have my wand." With that he thrust his hand into the hat and pulled out a sword. It's silver glistened, while the rubies had an eternal shine on them. Harry stared at the sword in sadness until a tug on the arm from Daphne snapped him back to reality. "Lets go." He said to the three before he walked out of the chamber, the others in tow.

Harry heard the stone doors close behind them with a soft hiss.

After a few minutes' progress up the dark tunnel, a distant sound of slowly shifting rock reached Harry's ears.

"Draco!" Harry yelled, speeding up. "Daphne's okay! I've got her!" He heard Draco give a strangled cheer, and they turned the next bend to see his eager face staring through the sizable gap he had managed to make in the rock fall. "Oh and Weasley here's your sister."

"Daphne!" Draco thrust an arm through the gap in the rock to pull her through first. "You're alive! I don't believe it! What happened?" How - what - where did that bird come from." Fawkes had swooped through the gap after Ginny.

"He's Dumbledore's," said Harry, squeezing through himself "How come you've got a sword?" said Draco, gaping at the glittering weapon in Harry's hand.

"I'll explain when we get out of here," said Harry with a sideways glance at the Weasleys, both of them crying.

"But -"

"Later," Harry said shortly. He didn't think it was a good idea to tell Draco yet who'd been opening the Chamber, not in front of the Weasleys, anyway. "Where's Lockhart?"

"Back there," said Draco, still looking puzzled but jerking his head up the tunnel toward the pipe. "He's in a bad way. Come and see." Led by Fawkes, whose wide scarlet wings emitted a soft golden glow in the darkness, they walked all the way back to the mouth of the pipe.

Gilderoy Lockhart was sitting there, humming placidly to himself.

"His memory's gone," said Draco. "The Memory Charm backfired. Hit him instead of us. Hasn't got a clue who he is, or where he is, or who we are. I told him to come and wait here. He's a danger to himself" Lockhart peered good-naturedly up at them all.

"Hello," he said. "Odd sort of place, this, isn't it. Do you live here?"

"No," said Draco, raising his eyebrows at Harry.

Harry bent down and looked up the long, dark pipe.

Fawkes the phoenix had swooped past Harry and was now fluttering in front of him, his beady eyes bright in the dark. He was waving his long golden tail feathers. Harry looked uncertainly at him.

"He looks like he wants you to grab hold . . ." said Draco, looking perplexed. "But you're much too heavy for a bird to pull up there -"

"Fawkes," said Harry, "isn't an ordinary bird." He turned quickly to the others. "We've got to hold on to each other. Ginny, grab Ron's hand. Draco holds Daphne's. Daphne grabs mine Professor Lockhart -"

"He means you," said Draco sharply to Lockhart.

"You hold Ginny's other hand -" Harry tucked the sword and the Sorting Hat into his belt, Daphne took hold of the back of Harry's robes, and Harry reached out and took hold of Fawkes's strangely hot tail feathers.

An extraordinary lightness seemed to spread through his whole body and the next second, in a rush of wings; they were flying upward through the pipe. Harry could hear Lockhart dangling below him, saying, "Amazing! Amazing! This is just like magic!" The chill air was whipping through Harry's hair, sooner than expected, it was over - all four of them were hitting the wet floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and as Lockhart straightened his hat, the sink that hid the pipe was sliding back into place.

Myrtle goggled at them.

"You're alive," she said blankly to Harry.

"There's no need to sound so disappointed," he said grimly, wiping flecks of blood and slime off his glasses.

"Oh, well ... Id just been thinking ... if you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet," said Myrtle, blushing silver.

"Sorry sweetheart but your not my type," Harry quipped before following Fawkes, who was leading the way, glowing gold along the corridor. Moments later, found them outside Professor McGonagall's office.

Harry knocked and pushed the door open.

For a moment there was silence as Harry, and the rest stood in the doorway, covered in muck and slime and (in Harry's case) blood. Then there was a scream.

"Ginny!" It was Mrs. Weasley, who had been sitting crying in front of the fire.

She leapt to her feet, closely followed by Mr. Weasley, and both of them flung themselves on their daughter.

Harry, however, didn't care. He was looking past them. Professor Dumbledore was standing by the mantelpiece, beaming, next to Professor McGonagall, who was taking great, steadying gasps, clutching her chest. Fawkes went whooshing past Harry's ear and settled on Dumbledore's shoulder. He ignored Mrs. Weasley, who was trying to thank him by way of a hug. He walked over to the desk and laid upon it the Sorting Hat, the ruby encrusted sword, and what remained of Riddle's diary.

Then Harry created the greatest piece of acting known to man. He spun a tale of how he had always been trying find the chamber of secrets, how he had searched for the legend in Hogwarts a history, he told them about how when Daphne had been taken he had been unknowingly screaming Parseltounge by the message and had heard the rumbling. He continued on to say how when he investigated the bathroom he saw a passage and Myrtle. Myrtle explained how she had died by a pair of great big yellow eyes, which Harry recognised as a basilisk. He then went to get Draco and they entered the chamber…

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later it was just Harry and Dumbledore in the office, McGonagall had gone to prepare a feast, Daphne and Ginny had gone to the hospital wing, and Ron had gone to get Hagrid back. The two stared at each other for five minutes before Dumbledore crossed to one of the chairs by the fire.<p>

"Sit down, Harry," he said, and Harry sat, feeling outlandishly nervous.

"First of all, Harry, I want to thank you," said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling again. "You must have shown me real loyalty down in the Chamber. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you." He stroked the phoenix, which had fluttered down onto his knee.

Harry grinned awkwardly as Dumbledore watched him.

"And so you met Tom Riddle," said Dumbledore thoughtfully. "I imagine he was most interested in you . . .. "

"Not really surprising is it? I mean he had a fan girl writing to him for almost a year. Apparently he knew so much that he thought we were alike each other."

"Did he, now." said Dumbledore, looking thoughtfully at Harry from under his thick silver eyebrows. "And what do you think, Harry?"

"I don't think I'm like him!" said Harry, "I want nothing like him, I do exactly what he didn't. Just because I speak Parseltounge everybody says I'm evil, and yet it will be me who'll be saving they're asses when they need it."

"And that is what makes him wrong Harry. It is our choices, nothing else. That defines who we are." Said Dumbledore plainly

Harry had nothing to say; Dumbledore had said it all, so for the next few minutes neither of them spoke.

Then Dumbledore pulled open one of the drawers in Professor McGonagall's desk and took out a quill and a bottle of ink. "What you need, Harry is some food and sleep. I suggest you go down to the feast, while I write a draft an advertisement for the Daily Prophet," he said thoughtfully. "We'll be needing a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher... Dear me, we do seem to run through them, don't we." Harry got up and crossed to the door. He had just reached for the handle; however, when the doors burst open so violently that it bounced back off the wall.

Lucius Malfoy stood there, fury in his face. And cowering behind his legs, heavily wrapped in bandages, was a house elf.

"Good evening, Lucius," said Dumbledore pleasantly.

Mr. Malfoy almost knocked Harry over as he swept into the room.

The elf went scurrying in after him, crouching at the hem of his cloak, a look of abject terror on his face.

The elf was carrying a stained rag with which he was attempting to finish cleaning Mr. Malfoy's shoes. Apparently Mr. Malfoy had set out in a great hurry, for not only were his shoes half-polished, but his usually sleek hair was dishevelled. Ignoring the elf bobbing apologetically around his ankles, he fixed his cold eyes upon Dumbledore.

"So!" he said "You've come back. The governors suspended you, but you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts."

"Well, you see, Lucius," said Dumbledore, smiling serenely, "the other eleven governors contacted me today. It was something like being caught in a hailstorm of owls, to tell the truth. They'd heard that Arthur Weasleys daughter had been killed and wanted me back here at once. They seemed to think I was the best man for the job after all. Very strange tales they told me, too... Several of them seemed to think that you had threatened to curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place." Mr. Malfoy went even paler than usual, but his eyes were still slits of fury.

"So - have you stopped the attacks yet." he sneered. "Have you caught the culprit?"

"We have," said Dumbledore, with a smile.

"Well." said Mr. Malfoy sharply. "Who is it?"

"The same person as last time, Lucius," said Dumbledore. "But this time, Lord Voldemort was acting through somebody else. By means of this diary." He held up the small black book with the large hole through the centre, watching Mr. Malfoy closely. Harry, however, was watching the elf.

The elf was doing something very odd. His great eyes fixed meaningfully on Harry, he kept pointing at the diary, then at Mr. Malfoy.

"I see . . . " said Mr. Malfoy slowly to Dumbledore.

"A clever plan," said Dumbledore in a level voice, still staring Mr. Malfoy straight in the eye. "Because if Harry here" -Mr. Malfoy shot Harry a swift, sharp look - "and his friends hadn't discovered this book, why - Ginny Weasley might have taken all the blame. No one would ever have been able to prove she hadn't acted of her own free will ...

Mr. Malfoy said nothing. His face was suddenly mask like.

"And imagine," Dumbledore went on, "what might have happened then... The Weasleys are one of our most prominent pureblood families. Imagine the effect on Arthur Weasley and his Muggle Protection Act, if his own daughter was discovered attacking and - killing Muggle-borns... Very fortunate the diary was discovered, and Riddle's memories wiped from it. "Who knows what the consequences might have been otherwise ...

Mr. Malfoy forced himself to speak.

"Very fortunate," he said stiffly.

And still, behind his back, the elf was pointing, first to the diary, and then to Lucius Malfoy,

And Harry suddenly understood. He nodded at the elf, who then backed into a corner, now twisting his ears in punishment.

"Don't you want to know how Ginny got hold of that diary, Mr. Malfoy." said Harry.

Lucius Malfoy rounded on him.

"How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?" he said.

"Because you gave it to her," said Harry. "In Flourish and Blotts. You picked up her old Transfiguration book and slipped the diary inside it didn't you." He saw Mr. Malfoy's white hands clench and unclench.

"Prove it," he hissed.

"Don't tempt me." Harry shot back causing Lucius to resemble a fish.

Lucius Malfoy stood for a moment, and Harry distinctly saw his right hand twitch as though he was longing to reach for his wand. Instead, he turned to his house-elf "We're going, Dobby!" He wrenched open the door and as the elf came hurrying up to him, he kicked him right through it. They could hear Dobby squealing with pain all the way along the corridor. Harry stood for a moment, thinking hard. Then it came to him - "Professor Dumbledore," he said hurriedly. "Can I give that diary back to Mr. Malfoy, please."

"Certainly, Harry," said Dumbledore calmly. "But hurry. The feast, remember ...

Harry grabbed the diary and dashed out of the office. He could hear Dobby's squeals of pain receding around the corner. Quickly, wondering if this plan could possibly work he waved his wand and cast a switching spell.

Then he ran down the dark corridor.

He caught up with them at the top of the stairs.

"Mr. Malfoy," he gasped, skidding to a halt, "I've got something for you -" And he forced the smelly sock into Lucius Malfoy's hand.

"What the -." Mr. Malfoy ripped the sock off the diary, threw it aside, and then looked furiously from the ruined book to Harry. "You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents one of these days, Harry Potter," he said softly. "They were meddlesome fools, too.

He turned to go.

"Come, Dobby. I said, come." But Dobby didn't move. He was holding up Harry's disgusting, slimy sock, and looking at it as though it were a priceless treasure.

"Master has given a sock," said the elf in wonderment. "Master gave it to Dobby."

"What's that." spat Mr. Malfoy. "What did you say?"

"Got a sock," said Dobby in disbelief. "Master threw it, and Dobby caught it, and Dobby - Dobby is free. " Lucius Malfoy stood frozen, staring at the elf then he lunged at Harry. "You've lost me my servant, boy!"

He never even got to step forward before Harry blasted him down the hallway with a twitch of his wand " I suggest you leave now Mr. Malfoy before we attract attention." he had no choice. And so with a last, incensed stare at the pair of them, he swung his cloak around him and hurried out of sight.

"Harry Potter freed Dobby!" said the elf shrilly; gazing up at Harry, moonlight from the nearest window reflected in his orb-like eyes. "Harry Potter set Dobby free!" Dobby threw his arms around Harry's middle and hugged him. "Harry Potter is greater by far than Dobby knew!" he sobbed. It was almost ten minutes before he released Harry

"Farewell, Harry Potter!" And with a final loud crack, Dobby disappeared

* * *

><p>Too soon, it was time for the journey home on the Hogwarts Express. Harry was depressed this year because Dumbledore had made him go back to his aunt and uncle's. The only condition in which he agreed was that he could leave if the trouble became too much.<p>

Harry, Draco and Daphne got a compartment to themselves. They made the most of the last few hours in which they were allowed to do magic before the holidays. They played Exploding Snap, wizard chess. And even charmed the chocolate frogs into having a duel to the death

They were almost at King's cross when Harry remembered something.

"You guys did write to me last summer didn't you?" to which his friends replied positive. "Oh well, guess I just missed them."

And so they got off the train when it came to King's cross, they all agreed to write before they left the train. Draco took a portkey to his home, the only reason he was allowed stay is because his Parents believed that he was spying on Harry. Daphne also took a portkey to her home, though nobody knew why, And Harry apparated to his bedroom in the Dursleys. He couldn't help but feel depressed as he lay on his meagre bed. He was stuck here again. At least he could use a little magic now.


	13. Authors Note No not abandoning

To all who read this story (yes all ten of you). After due consideration I have decided to rewrite the story the past and the future both combined. Owing to the fact that, it just isn't that good. I hope you read it when I get round to it and I hope that you enjoy it when it does come up.

LEGO KING


	14. The Next Great Adventure

Story The Past And The Future Recombined has been posted (thank you Veldin for the name) I do hope you enjoy it. The reasons in which I remade the story are…

It didn't come out the way it was supposed to

It seemed more like a series of one shots then a story

I am not abandoning another story I will finish this whatever it takes.

I gained more experience as I wrote and decided to use it throughout my entire story.

The story was almost borderline flame worthy

I thank all who reviewed this story and hope you follow the remake.


End file.
